


Crack The Sky

by yaboygroovy



Category: Bleach, Dragon Ball
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Anxiety, Crossover, Depression, F/M, Fights, Hurt/Comfort, No Smut, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Post-Fullbringer Arc, Saiyans, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-30
Updated: 2021-01-23
Packaged: 2021-03-06 08:08:08
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 18
Words: 81,698
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25600069
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yaboygroovy/pseuds/yaboygroovy
Summary: Just as Trunks and Goten prepared to embark on their college journey together, Sosuke Aizen and the Espada arrive to seize control of their world. In response, the duo travel to a place called the Soul Society and train with two of the most promising Soul Reapers alive. Through failure and defeat, they rise to the challenge and cement themselves as protectors of the universe.
Relationships: Son Goten & Hitsugaya Toushirou, Trunks Briefs & Kurosaki Ichigo, Trunks Briefs & Son Goten, Trunks Briefs/Sui-Feng | Soifon
Comments: 21
Kudos: 12





	1. My Own Summer

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first story, but its a concept I've had for a couple years now, and I'm finally glad to be sharing it. It's gonna be a long one, but I'll do my best to keep you guys engaged. One small thing is the DBS part of the story will not involve the events after the Broly movie (i.e Moro), and the Bleach part of the story will take place post-TLA. If anybody is reading, well... thanks for reading, it means a lot !! 
> 
> Also, I've made a ton of grammatical and minor changes since first publishing, so if you've read it before and stopped because of bad grammar, I apologize.

Hot, dry, and... way too sandy. That's how Trunks described his current scenery, even though that was the least of his worries. He was laying face down in a sea of sand, and his body was radiating with pain. His head was palpitating, his face was covered in blood, his left arm was broken, and his legs were numb. He could feel that the majority of his ribs were broken, and the scalding temperatures made his lungs long for a droplet of water. However, he was still breathing, and as his father taught him, if he can still breathe, he can still fight. His eyes were barely open as he struggled to stand while spitting the sand out of his mouth.

"I don't think... I could even look at a beach after this," Trunks wheezed as he made it to his hands and knees. "Damn it... if there's any god out there listening, we could really use a divine intervention right about now."

Suddenly, someone appeared right behind Trunks. Trunks' body shook, which made the person smile sadistically.

"Poor Mr. Briefs," he calmly said, as he picked up the half Saiyan by his torn shirt. "After all this time, you still don't get it? **I am your god** , now bow."

The man released Trunks, but before he hit the ground, Trunks was met with a hard gut punch. Trunks dropped to his knees, clutching his stomach and coughing up blood on the ground.

 _Somebody_ , he pleaded. _Anybody, please. HELP US!_

* * *

**7 Months Earlier**

* * *

"Vegeta, can you at least pretend to be happy right now?" asked Bulma as she approached her husband in his lawn chair.

Vegeta lay arms crossed, wearing his signature "Badman" shirt and khakis. "Hmph, these things aren't really my cup of tea. I'd much rather be training right now."

"Yea yea, I get it, and you can train with Goku all you want after, but can you not be... you for a couple of hours?"

"And here I thought this was my birthday party..."

Bulma sighed, then replied " Whatever," as she walked away. " Just don't complain if you don't get any food." As she walked towards the rest of her guests, she muttered to herself, "I just hope Trunks gets the cake here on time."

For the first time since they had been together, Bulma had finally convinced Vegeta to let her throw him a birthday party at Capsule Corporation. All of their friends and allies had come to help him celebrate (in other words, celebrate for him) his 53rd birthday. Goku and Majin Buu had gotten into an eating contest, Krillin was singing karaoke, Gohan was conversing with Videl, Hercule, and Chi-Chi, Pan was playing with Bulla, and Yamcha and Puar were trying to keep Master Roshi from excessively flirting with the other female guests. The only people who hadn't shown up were Tien Shinhan and Chiaotzu, who were busy teaching at their martial arts academy, and Piccolo, who had simply grown tired of social gatherings.

Everything, as it had been for the past five years, had remained fairly peaceful, which seemed to please everyone else except for Vegeta and Goku. Sure, they could spar each other, Whis, or Beerus when he wasn't sleeping, but they knew it didn't invoke the same fear that got their blood pumping and forced them to surpass their limits. This especially bothered Vegeta, who was content as long as the family was safe, but deep down he longed for a new challenge. However, he realized that right now, his wife took the time to plan his own birthday party, so he got up and decided to go enjoy some of the food.

"Well Kakarot," Vegeta started as he approached a table. "I see that you Buu have taken all the food for yourselves, like always."

"Oh hey, Vegeta," Goku said with half of a pork bun in his mouth. " You came just in time. I've been saving you this food, but Buu over here's been trying to steal it"

Vegeta took his seat and grabbed his fork. "Hmph, how nice of you."

"By the way, have you seen Goten anywhere? Chi Chi's been looking for him since we got here."

"I haven't. I think he and Trunks have been out all day, probably goofing off as usual."

* * *

Elsewhere in West City, Goten and Trunks were walking down the sidewalk towards Capsule Corporation, and Trunks was holding a rather large white box that contained his father's birthday cake.

"So what do you think I should do, bro?" Goten asked. "Should I text her again or should I just leave it alone?"

"Well, I think you should wait a day," replied Trunks. "And if she doesn't reply tomorrow, you gotta let it be."

"Yea, you're right. It just makes me so anxious, you know? I hate not knowing what somebody else is feeling."

"I feel you, 100 percent. You just gotta let it go. I was the same way, but I just figured that it's better to grind now in school, and maybe focus on a relationship later. I mean, you're about to start your freshman year, dude. You've got your whole life ahead of you."

"That's true, but how was freshman year, anyway? Are the classes easy?"

"Eh, I think they're pretty easy. Some of the professors are hard asses though. Other than that, it's pretty great. You meet cool people, and the parties are pretty wi-"

Trunks stopped as his foot tripped over a crack and he started teetering the cake.

Goten laughed at his friend's clumsy efforts. "Woah, Trunks. Maybe take a break from monologuing before your mom gives you a one-way ticket to Other World."

Trunks finally got the cake under control and replied "Thanks for the help, you dick."

"Seriously though, be careful with that. If your mom sends you to Other World, then my mom is booking me an express ticket straight to King Kai."

"Or worse, they'll make our train with our dads."

"Well, I know that you hate training with your dad. Me on the other hand... it is nice sometimes, but sometimes I would just rather be doing other-"

Suddenly, a rushing pressure had come out of nowhere. Neither Goten nor Trunks knew where it was coming from, but the feeling was so intense that neither one could move, and the fear that rushed their bodies made it even harder to breathe. Never in their life had they experienced such a power that was so crippling, and they both questioned in their heads if this was something that their fathers would be able to handle. As suddenly as the pressure came, it had suddenly disappeared. It had felt like an eternity to them, but in actuality, it had only lasted about four seconds. Both boys were left in a cold sweat, gasping for air.

"Trunks... holy shit," Goten whispered while trying to catch his breath.

Trunks' eyes were wide and his body was shaking. " Fuck... that wasn't just one person. There were multiple people with those power levels. Goten, we have to go, now!"

Goten got a hold of himself, and they both raced back to Capsule Corp as fast as possible. When they got back, Trunks dropped the cake down on the nearest and then met up with the other Z Fighters, who were all standing together, discussing what had just transpired.

"Kakarot," Vegeta said, clenching his fists. "How many did you count? It must've been at least ten of them."

"Yea... I got around that same number." Goku responded. "But it felt like there were more."

Gohan stepped in and tried to compose himself. "Dad, if you're saying there are more than ten people with those power levels, then we're in big trouble, to say the least."

"But where did they go? They vanished into the air... I should've been able to track them." Without warning, Goku put his fingers on his forehead and quickly blurted out, "I gotta go," before using his Instant Transmission to teleport away.

Seeing Goku that rattled had now painted the situation clearly in everyone's' heads: This was an unknown threat of great magnitude, and at the mercy of this unknown threat, their planet and their lives had been temporarily spared. Never before had fear disrupted their peace so quickly, and the Z-Fighter's look of worry had scared their loved ones who could not sense Ki.

In the midst of all this, however, Vegeta's signature grin began to creep back onto his face. "Well, I should consider myself lucky. I finally have some worthy adversaries to destroy."

Seeing at least one of their allies ready for the challenge had put the rest of them somewhat at ease. Unanimously they had all agreed, it was time to begin their training again. At this point, Yamcha, Puar, and Roshi departed to warn Tien and Chiaotzu, and Krillin, Android 18, and Marron departed to alert Android 17. With the party now cut short, the rest of the Z-Fighters and friends departed and remained on high alert until the threat was confirmed.

Meanwhile, Goku headed to the Lookout to see if he could find any assistance. "Dende! Please tell me you got any sort of reading on those guys."

The Guardian of Earth lowered his head. "No, I couldn't. They caught me off guard just like they did for you guys."

"Damn... they've gotta be somewhere," he remarked as he ran to the edge of the tower.

Piccolo had already been standing there, scanning for the invaders. "There's nothing down there, Goku," the warrior Namekian said solemnly. "I think that they might have left Earth as fast as they arrived."

Goku again put his two fingers on his forehead and said " Alright, guess I gotta look a little further. By the way, we're definitely gonna need to start training again, so meet up with Gohan as soon as possible."

He waved his hand goodbye to Dende and his attendant Mr. Popo before leaving. Goku promptly teleported to King Kai's planet in the Other World, only to be told more of the same answer from him. Goku figured that he would try one more person, and used Instant Transmission to get to the Sacred World of the Kais. Once there, he was met with the same response.

"Darn," Goku exclaimed while crossing his arms. "These guys are good. I guess we got ourselves a real doozy on our hands now."

"So what are you going to do?" asked the Supreme Kai. "Surely Vegeta and you are strong, but even you two can't handle that many enemies at once."

"You're right, so I guess all of us are gonna train harder to beat these guys."

"Actually, Goku," said an elder voice. " I think I might have come up with a 'secret weapon' if you may."

"Grand Elder," the Supreme Kai said as he turned to face his elder. " Do you mean the-"

"Hush, you whippersnapper! I'm leaving it as a surprise."

"But... yes, Grand Elder."

"Now Goku, I've happened to come into a useful fighting method that I picked up from Universe 6."

Goku speculated what the Kai could be talking about."A new fighting method? Are you talking about Hit's time skip?"

"Even better. If perfected, this will increase the user's power tenfold."

"Woah, get outta here!"

"Yes, yes it's quite powerful. However, I think it would be best to recommend this to the younger generation, So I'm going to ask that you bring me Goten and Trunks so that they can begin training in Universe 6 to unlock this power."

"No problem, they're gonna love this!"

With that, Goku used his Instant Transmission to teleport himself back to Capsule Corp to tell Vegeta the news.

"Increase their power by tenfold?" Vegeta proclaimed. "What kind of techniques are they going to teach him?"

Goku shrugged shoulders. "Beats me. The Old Kai wouldn't let me in on it. He says it's a surprise for them."

Vegeta grinned. "Fine by me. He needs to start his training immediately." He yelled to his nearby son. "Trunks, get ready, you're going to Universe 6 to train."

"What?!" the half Saiyan exclaimed. "Why Universe 6?!"

"Because I said so," yelled Vegeta. "Now get your things together and move out!"

"Well do I get a say in this?"

"Meet Kakarot at his house in an hour or I'll work you to the bone in that Gravity Chamber."

"Okay, just checking." Trunks turned and started walking towards his room to pack. He muttered to himself, "Well at least he only threw away the last two weeks of my summer."

Vegeta turned back towards Goku and grinned.

"Looks like we're gonna have a good fight on our hands," said Goku.

"Hopefully," concurred Vegeta. "We'll head to Whis in the morning and resume our training."

Goku agreed and headed off to his home at Mount Paozu, where he was tasked with convincing Chi-Chi to let Goten leave Earth two weeks before his first semester of college. He tried to calmly convince her, but Chi-Chi, just as she had been with Gohan, was adamant that he stay on Earth and prepare for school, citing that he hadn't even moved in yet. However, Goku's face had turned from his usual cheeky smile to a stern look, and Chi-Chi knew that there was no other way.

"Chi-Chi," Goku begged. "If Goten doesn't get stronger somehow, then there won't be an Earth for him to study on."

"Are these guys really too much for you, Vegeta, and Gohan to handle?" she asked.

Goku nodded, as Goten walked out into the kitchen with a suitcase in his hand. "Don't worry, Mom," Goten said to his mother. " I'll only be there for two weeks, and I'm bringing my books there too so I can study in my free time."

His mother sighed, then smiled and replied "Just make sure you make the most of your trip, son, and don't cause anybody any trouble."

Goten giggled at his mother's comment, but inside he felt dreadful at these new developments. _Ahh man, he thought to himself. Now I have to go learn from some aliens in Universe 6, fantastic. Who knows what kinda weird food they probably eat over there. I can't even use my phone. Dad doesn't even know how long it's gonna take and if I'm still there after school starts, Mom's gonna kill me. I guess it'll be okay though, at least Trunks will be there._

* * *

Back at Capsule Corp, night began to fall, and Trunks was preparing to head out to meet up with Goku and Goten, suitcase in hand. As he was walking down the hallway to the front door, he heard his mother call his name. He turned around and saw her running up to him with something in her hands. Trunks' eyes lit up when he finally recognized what his mother was giving him. On top was a deep blue denim jacket with a Capsule Corp logo, with a pair of pants, a black sleeveless shirt, and a belt under it. He had only seen in pictures, but Trunks knew that this outfit belonged to his future counterpart when he had come back in time to assist with the Android fight.

Bulma placed the clothes in her son's arms. "After all these years...I forgot we even had it up until now."

An awestruck Trunks replied, "Woah, thanks, Mom. I think I'll wear these to Goku's house."

His mother smiled. "Well, put them on quickly before your father yells at you." She then handed him a small walkie talkie. "Put this in your bag too. I made it so that we can still talk even when you're in Universe 6."

Trunks nodded, grabbed the walkie, and raced back to his room to fit the clothes. He put the clothes on and looked in the mirror. It scared him how well he fit him. He felt that even in two different timelines, he was still meant to wear this outfit, and he liked it. He liked the Saiyan armor that was already packed in his suitcase, but this one was special, and kind of stylish. He stuffed the clothes he took off, and the walkie talkie in his suitcase and left his room. When he made it to the front door, he saw that his family was already there. He gave his mother a big hug and promised to call her when he got there. Then he hugged his little sister and told her that he would bring her back a big souvenir and that he would take her to a water park when he got back. Finally, he faced his father, who smiled out his outfit and wished him good luck. Trunks grinned and said a final goodbye to them before generating his aura and flying towards Goku's house.

While he flew there, he had similar thoughts to what Goten had been experiencing. In all honesty, he would've rather been playing video games, or laying on the couch doing nothing rather than go to an unknown place to train for an unknown enemy. However, because he had the support of his family behind, and the fact that he was at least going to be with his best friend made him more optimistic about exploring the unknown. After a couple of minutes, he arrived at Mount Paozu and knocked on the door. Goku answered, and was surprised by what he saw.

"Woah!" Goku beamed. "Now that's a blast from the past."

"Hey Goku, sorry I'm late."

"It's no problem, we're in no rush at all."

Trunks walked in, greeted Chi-Chi, and dapped up his friend.

"Well, look at that," Trunks remarked. "I'm not the only one who went through a costume change."

Trunks was referring to Goten, who was wearing one of his father's gi's, specifically the gi that was designed for his trip to Planet Namek.

"Oh, this thing?" Goten replied. "I thought I'd dust it off and give it a try."

"Well I think you both look great," said Chi Chi.

Goku smiled and said to the boys, You guys ready?"

They both nodded in agreement, said their last goodbyes to Chi-Chi, and Goku used Instant Transmission to take them all to the Sacred World of the Kais. They teleported right behind the Elder Kai, and Goku loudly exclaimed that they had arrived, which made the old man jump for his life.

"You young people have some nerve," Elder Kai yelled at Goku. " First you don't even get here at a decent hour, and then you try to scare me?!"

"Hehehe," Goku chuckled. "Sorry Old Kai, I'm just so excited to see what they're gonna learn."

The elder composed himself. "Well, don't do it again." He dusted himself off and turned to address the boys. "Ah, so you're Goten and Trunks, it's nice to finally meet you."

They both bowed in unison and quickly blurted, "It's nice to meet you too, Supreme Kai."

"Actually, that would be me," said the real Supreme Kai as he and his attendant, Kibito, approached them.

They both hung their head in embarrassment and apologized.

"It's of little concern," replied the Supreme Kai. "Now Grand Elder, would you care to explain to them the nature of their training."

"Yes, yes," said Elder Kai. " I suggest you all take a seat, this is going to be a fairly complicated matter to explain."

They all sat down and waited with anticipation for the Elder Kai's details.

* * *

Down on Earth, Bulma and Vegeta had laid in bed, but Vegeta was wide awake, staring at the wall and thinking to himself about the strange events of today.

_There's got to be something more to it, it had to have meant something. Did they just forget to mask their presence before they came? No, those power levels didn't belong to amateurs. They were sending us a warning, or just trying to intimidate us. Are they after the Dragon Balls, or something else?_

Vegeta sensed something faint but close by. He immediately rose out of bed and put on his battle suit. Bulma woke up and was scared about Vegeta's frantic behavior

"Vegeta, what's the matter," asked his frightened wife.

"Just stay here," he replied. "I'll take care of this."

Vegeta quickly ran outside to confront the foe. He reached his front lawn and looked left and right, but saw no one there, until he heard a voice above him, a voice that he couldn't believe he was hearing.

"A palace fit for the prince," the voice said as it floated down to the ground. "Not bad, Vegeta. I would say that you've grown, but I'd be lying."

Vegeta's eyes met the voice that was speaking to him, but he was still too shocked to utter words.

"From galactic conqueror to doting father. Well, at least you're not under Frieza's tail anymore." The voice villainously smirked at Vegeta.

"I think it would be disingenuous to say that I was the only one who was under his tail, don't you think?" Vegeta finally stood up straight but clenched his fist. " Now I think you better start explaining how exactly you're still alive, **Grimmjow**."


	2. FaceLift

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Vegeta squares off against a familiar foe from his past, while Trunks and Goten get an introduction into the world of Soul Reapers.

Vegeta stared down Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez, a face and name that was all too familiar to him. _It is, but... it can't be. How the hell is this possible?_

He wanted to get all of his facts straight first, but Grimmjow had already taken his stance and was ready to pounce.

"You know," Grimmjow said as he deepened his stance. "Maybe I'll feel inclined to talk later, but right now I'm just itching to beat you."

"BEAT ME?" remarked a surprised Vegeta as he began to chuckle. "Really? Follow me then if you want your challenge. I won't fight you here."

Grimmjow sighed, then stood up from his stance. "I figured as much. Well, your planet, your rules. Lead the way prince."

With that, Vegeta and Grimmjow power-up, and fly off to a deserted area. In a few minutes, Vegeta finally decided on a desolate island, miles away from West City. Once they touched down, Vegeta turned to Grimmjow, and the questions in Vegeta's head just seemed to keep piling. But he decided to start small, and question the nature of his appearance.

"I don't know what costume party you just came from," Vegeta said. "But you can take that ridiculous mask off, and don't even get me started about your skirt."

Grimmjow chuckled as he put his hand on the bone mask on his right cheek. "Oh, you mean this? You can consider it like your widow's peak, it's a permanent fixture."

Vegeta looked at how the bone mask moved with each word he said and knew he was telling the truth.

"As for the outfit," Grimmjow added, looking at his attire."It's really none of your concern. I didn't think this planet turned you into a fashion expert. Maybe I should blow it up just to remind you how to be a true Saiyan."

"Hmph," Vegeta scoffed as he continued to scan his outfit, noting the scabbard on his side. "I see you fight with a sword now, and you have the nerve to say that I'm no longer a true Saiyan."

"Don't worry, I won't need it to beat your face in."

"Big talk, just like always, but I doubt you'll be able to back it up this time."

Both men assumed the same stance, and Grimmjow smiled. "So, you still hung on to what I taught you, eh?"

Vegeta didn't respond, choosing to focus on his opponent's movements instead. Suddenly, both of them rushed towards each other, and their clash began.

* * *

Meanwhile, on the Sacred World of the Kais, Elder Kai had begun to explain to Goten and Trunks what kind of training they would experience.

"Before we dive into what you two will be doing in Universe 6," said Elder Kai. "I'm going to give you a little bit of a backstory on how Universe 6 works. I hope I don't put you young people to sleep in the process."

Both Goten and Trunks shook their heads in unison. Even though they had been forced to come there, they were still drawn in by the mystery. They leaned forward and gave the Elder Kai their full attention.

The Kai cleared his throat, sat down, and began to explain. "Now, as I'm sure you already know that Universe 6 and 7 are mirror universes, meaning that they are almost identical, even down to the planets that make them up. This is true in many ways, they both still have fundamental things that differentiate them. For example, unlike our universe, they do not have a place called Other World."

Goku's jaw dropped with awe. "What?! Where do they go then when they die?"

Elder Kai scolded Goku. "Well, if you let me finish, I'll tell you."

Goku quickly covered his mouth with both of his hands and muffled an apology through his fingers.

"To answer your question," continued the Elder Kai. "They go to a place called the Soul Society. The Soul Society exists as a separate dimension that houses all of the souls in Universe 6, however, The Soul Society is actually connected to Earth."

The Saiyans were shocked and confused. How, and why would the afterlife be connected to Earth of all places?

"Yes," continued the Kai. "It's a very weird situation but this was by design of that lazy Supreme Kai of theirs. For many years, Earth was the only planet with life in their universe, because he thought it would be easier to monitor. He set up the Soul Society right next to the Earth so they could monitor it closely. It wasn't until the Grand Priest threatened that lazy oaf's job that he did actually create life on other planets too, but at that point, he was still too lazy to change the structure of his universe, so that's the way it still is today."

"Excuse me, sir," interrupted Trunks. "You said that the Soul Society was set to monitor Earth, but what exactly are they watching for now?"

"Good question, young man," replied Elder Kai. "The Soul Society exists to make sure that souls cross over to the afterlife. However, Earth has a unique problem. If a soul has a regret or unfinished business from their life, then they will not cross over to the Soul Society. If that soul stays in the living world for too long, they turn into a monster, known as a hollow. The Soul Society's duty is to purify these hollows into normal souls again so that they can cross over."

"Wait," Goten said as he sat up. " You're saying that no other planet has people that have regrets before they die?"

"Well, people on other planets have a more subverted egos than humans," The Kai answered. "But in the few cases that come up, there's usually one special warrior stationed on each planet to prevent the threat from increasing, and for more than 5,000 years, it's worked. This, however, pales in comparison to the hundreds of warriors that exist in the Soul Society. They call themselves Soul Reapers, and they fight their enemies with these."

As he finished his sentence, the Kai stretched out his hand, and two sheathed swords appeared in front of Trunks and Goten. All three Saiyans marveled at them, as the two teenagers picked up their weapons.

"Well," Trunks said as he stood up with his new blade. "Like the future, like past, I guess. I bet if I slice somebody in half, the timelines will merge."

Goten unsheathed his sword and examined it closely. "Bro, these are dumb sharp, and surprisingly light, too. Wanna test them out?"

"Wait a sec," Trunks said as he turned to face the Elder Kai. "How are these gonna make us stronger than we were before. I don't feel any different."

"What you have in your hands is called a Zanpakuto, a blade that, with training, can increase your power, and allow you to use a special ability without as well."

"Woah," remarked Goten. "Are we talking about elemental abilities or more?"

"Much, much more, my boy" replied the Kai.

"That's incredible," said Goku. "So what are their abilities gonna be, Old Kai?"

As soon as Goku finished his sentence, he sensed Vegeta's and an enemy power level rise on Earth.

"Uh oh," he said as he stood up. "Looks like they finally decided to show themselves. I guess I was so caught up in this that I didn't even notice."

Elder Kai looked unfazed. "Yes, they've been fighting for some time now. He seems more than capable of handling it, but you should probably go in case of an emergency."

Goku put his fingers on his head. "Alright, I'll get going."

"Be careful down there, Goku," said the Supreme Kai.

"I'll try." He then turned to Goten and Trunks. "Guys, if I don't get back before you leave, good luck. I know you guys will master this in no time."

The boys thanked him, and Goku departed back to Earth to assist Vegeta.

"There's one more thing I need to tell you about the swords you're holding," said the Elder Kai to the boys. They turned towards him and gave them his attention once again.

"These swords were made especially for our circumstances and time constraints. Usually, a Zanpakuto takes more than a few weeks to master, but these blank swords, known as Asauchi, are special. Usually, someone who is not already a soul must leave their physical body and become a soul to fight as a Zanpakuto. This sword eliminates that and creates a much simpler process."

He then looked directly at Trunks. "Try channeling your energy through the sword and see what happens."

"Okay," Trunks answered, as he drew his sword, and dropped the scabbard. He then powered up and focused his energy into his hands. He concentrated hard, trying to extend his energy from his hands to the sword.

"HAAAAAA!" he exclaimed as he finally pushed energy into the sword. In an instant, the sword disappeared from his sight.

"What?!" he yelled. "It's... it's gone! Where the hell did it go?!" He looked up to the Kai for answers.

The old Kai gave a little chuckle. "Oh come now, boy. It's merely a part of you now. Just focus your mind on it and use your energy to draw it out."

Trunks did just as he said. He visualized the sword in his head while focusing the energy in his hands again, the sword reappeared instantaneously.

"Woah," Goten remarked. " Let me try that out."

Goten gripped his sword and focused his energy, then let out a yell, and the sword disappeared.

"Okay, and now we..." Goten said as he then visualized the sword and focused his energy. The sword reappeared in his hands, just as it did with Trunks.

"I got it!" he exclaimed. " Hey, Trunks. "You were kind of slow on your first try, huh?"

"I had to go slow enough that you could learn from me?" Trunks replied jokingly.

"Nonsense, you guys" the Supreme Kai interrupted. "You two picked that up in no time. Isn't that right, Grand Elder?"

"Yes, I agree," the elder responded. " You two do learn at a fast pace. Now, onto the disadvantage of this weapon."

Goten and Trunks grew serious for a moment. How could there be any disadvantage to a sword you could draw at will?

"Because of our time constraints, you won't be able to actually find out your own special abilities in your Zanpakuto. You two will have to find a Soul Reaper and train with them to learn their powers and use them your own."

The boys were disappointed at hearing this. They were excited at the prospect of discovering a unique power, but even if they couldn't, having a pick at a new one didn't seem bad either, so they still stayed optimistic.

The Elder Kai continued. "Now all that explanation is out of the way, you'll be heading to Universe 6 to start your training. During your stay, you'll be helping the Soul Society locate and destroy a threat that they currently have."

"Shouldn't be too hard," said Goten. "We'll take care of that and come back in no time."

Trunks chimed in. "Yea, just leave it to us."

They both felt more at ease about the situation. At least they would be staying on Earth, or Earth-adjacent (the Soul Society). To them, it seemed like a quick mission, and as soon as they had finished, their fathers and the others would've taken care of whatever was taking place in their universe, and their lives could return to normal.

The Supreme Kai stood up and walked towards the boys. "I'll be transporting you to Universe 6," he said. "First, I'll take you to the God of Destruction's planet, and his attendant Vados will take you to your final destination. I'm sure she'll elaborate on the full situation during your trip."

The boys nodded, then thanked the old Kai for his help. The Supreme Kai put his hands on Trunks and Goten, then used his Kai Kai technique, and the three of them were off to their next destination, Universe 6.

* * *

Back on Earth, Vegeta and Grimmjow continued their fight. At first, they had started evenly, however, Vegeta decided not to hold back in his base form, and quickly gained the upper hand.

At this particular moment, a shockwave filled the sky, and Grimmjow's body was flung towards the Earth. He was able to control himself before he hit the ground, and landed on his hands and feet, sliding back against the dirt. He quickly got up and looked to the sky to charge another attack at Vegeta, but he couldn't find him.

"Looking for someone?" Vegeta said as he put his hand on Grimmjow's back and fired an energy blast.

"Dammit," yelled Grimmjow as he was hurled into a nearby rock formation with the blast, causing a large explosion, and leaving him under a pile of rocks. After the dust settled, Grimmjow used an explosive wave to destroy rocks surrounding him and flew back to Vegeta. Upon seeing his bone-faced foe with his clothes tattered and blood running down his cheek, Vegeta smiled.

"You come to my house and challenge me, and this is the best fight you can put up? Start telling me how you managed to survive and I might show you some mercy."

Grimmjow scowled at Vegeta, but then his facial changed into a grin. Vegeta stopped smiling and put his guard up.

"You think you're the only one who's changed, don't you?" he said. "Cocky til' the end, you bastard."

Grimmjow clasped his fists, and widened his stance, and started to power up.

"What the..." remarked Vegeta as he felt his enemy's power start to rapidly increase.

Grimmjow's veins in his head and neck started to protrude, and his muscle mass increased. He let out a powerful yell, and his aura and hair turned golden, and his eyes turned green. Vegeta's eyes widened in surprise.

"A Super Saiyan," Vegeta muttered. "Well, aren't you full of surprises today?"

"How about cut the bullshit and cut the bullshit."

Vegeta tightened his fist and strained his muscles. He let out a powerful scream and released an aura that tore at the ground below him. He too turned into a Super Saiyan.

"With pleasure," he answered his opponent, and the two disappeared, clashing at even greater speeds all across the island.

Goku teleported to a hill near the battle and began to watch Vegeta's fight. Upon looking closer, he saw the enemy's golden glow and immediately recognized it as the same kind Vegeta possessed.

"No way," Goku whispered to himself. "This guy's a Super Saiyan, too? What's going on here?"

As many questions as Goku had, he still tried to focus on the fight but kept his guard up for new enemies that might try to approach. Suddenly, Goku's eye caught a glimpse of something akin to a shooting star. He knew immediately thought that this was not the case. The color of the object that flew across the sky was orange, meaning the Shenron, had been summoned and had granted two wishes for someone. Goku gasped, as he didn't sense any other threatening presence on Earth. He had no idea where the person that had summoned Shenron could be.

Vegeta had observed this, too, and had pieced together that whoever summoned the Eternal Dragon and had done so under the cover of night as the most opportune time. He turned to Grimmjow and saw him smiling from ear to ear, knowing he had stalled Vegeta long enough for his plan to work

Vegeta, seething and shaking with rage at the fact that he had been fooled, blurted out, "YOU SNEAKY LITTLE BITCH," as he charged Grimmjow and connected with a double hammer fist that once again sent Grimmjow flying to the earth. Once Grimmjow hit the earth, he immediately got up and saw a raging Vegeta speeding towards him. With little options left, he drew his sword from his side and put his nails on the flat of the sword. He waited as long as he could, but this was his last option

" **Grind!** " he shouted.

Before he could finish, however, a grey, rectangular void opened behind him, and a hand reached out from it and prevented him from moving any further. Vegeta stopped in mid-air, and Goku expressed the same shock his ally did.

"You've done well, Grimmjow," a monotone voice said before stepping out of the portal. "Your mission was successful, and he is very pleased with you."

"Hmph," Grimmjow grunted as he powered down. "Welcome back to the world of the living, **Ulquiorra**. I'm guessing the rest of them are back, too?"

"Yes," Ulquiorra Cifer replied as he looked up at Vegeta, then to Goku. " So, these are our new enemies."

"In addition to the old ones, yea."

"Inform me of the events on our way back to the ship. We mustn't keep him waiting."

Ulquiorra walked through the portal and out of sight.

"Well, Vegeta, I'm gonna have to cut this reunion short. Count your days, though, because the next time I see you, I'll tear that you to fuckin' shreds!"

"Hold on a second, Grimmjow," Vegeta commanded as he dropped to the ground to meet him. Goku flew over and landed next to Vegeta. "Planet Kadassil... there was nothing left of it. We found your ship in the debris, there was no way you could've got off that planet, so how the hell did you?"

"Consider it a lucky miracle for me, and an unlucky miracle for you. By the way, Kakarot doesn't really have that much of a resemblance to Raditz, but who'd wanna look like that ugly fuck anyway."

Goku was shocked by this. He hadn't heard that name in years. "What?" he asked. "How do you know him?"

Grimmjow grinned, then turned to walk into the portal. "The same Vegeta knew him, of course." Grimmjow walked into the void and then stopped to give his goodbye. "I'll be back to kill you, Vegeta. And oh yea, happy birthday."

The portal shut, and Goku and Vegeta were left standing alone to unpack the events.

"Vegeta," Goku immediately asked. "Who was that guy, and how does he know Raditz?"

Vegeta, with fists and teeth clenched, slowly answered "... he's my cousin, and we all used to work for Frieza together."

Before Goku and Vegeta could continue their conversation, they were both interrupted by a telepathic message from the Supreme Kai.

 _Goku, Vegeta!_ the Supreme Kai frantically called out. _Someone's used the Dragon Balls!_

Vegeta, in poor spirits, to say the least, rebuked the Kai. "Don't you think we know that, you nitwit! We saw it happen ourselves!"

 _NO!_ the Kai shouted out. _Not just the Earth Dragon Balls, THE SUPER DRAGON BALLS TOO!_

Goku and Vegeta gasped at this news, as this was possibly one of the worst things they could hear. Two sets of Dragon Balls had been used and deactivated for a year, and they still had no idea who their true enemy was.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you're reading this, thanks for reading. I'm still in the opening phases of the story, so its still a bit exposition heavy, but that'll be changing by the next chapter.


	3. Superunknown

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Goku and Vegeta try to work through the fall out of their conflict on Earth, while Goten and Trunks head off to the Soul Society to begin their training.

Three wishes were made between two sets of Dragon Balls, and Goku, Vegeta, and the Supreme Kai stood on the Planet of the Kais, trying to figure out what exactly was going on.

"They used the Earth's Dragon Balls at night to avoid any suspicion," said the Supreme Kai. "And then they used the Super Dragon Balls while they had the Earth ones active as well. Were the Earth ones just a diversion, or did they actually make a wish?"

Goku's eyes fell to the ground. "We checked with Dende before we got here, and the Dragon can't be summoned for a year, so they definitely used both wishes. But wouldn't it be easier to go to Namek and use the Dragon Balls there?"

"They definitely needed a wish with more power," responded Vegeta. "But we still don't know what the hell it is they wished for." He turned and looked at the Supreme Kai. "Has there been any changes to anything in the universe? Any abnormalities in the least?"

The Kai shook his head. "None, I've done a sweep of the universe, and I couldn't find anyone or anything that stood out."

Vegeta grunted and clenched his fists in frustration. "Is there any possibility we could be dealing with another rogue Kai, like Zamasu?" he asked.

"That could be the case, but it would be best if we left our options open."

"Well, it looks like we have a cunning adversary on our hands. It definitely beats the hulking, brainless ones like Broly."

A smile crept onto Vegeta's face as he finished his sentence.

Goku looked up from the ground and addressed Vegeta. "Hey," he exclaimed. "I like fighting with Broly!"His face changed from a goofy look to a relaxed smile. "I'm getting fired up though," he continued. "It's been a while I've had something to train for."

"In any case," the Supreme Kai said to the Saiyans. "I'll alert you if I see anything happening."

"Thanks." Goku put his two fingers on his head and prepared to head back to Earth with Vegeta. " Oh, and would you mind giving us updates on the boys and their training?"

The Kai nodded. "As a matter of fact, they should be arriving at their destination as we speak. I'll make sure to give you updates frequently."

Goku nodded, and the Saiyans departed back to Earth. When they got back, Goku had a question that he forgot to bring up with the Supreme Kai.

"Hey Vegeta, what about that guy that showed up outta nowhere, and the one that you said is your cousin?"

Vegeta grunted. "Grimmjow might have been one of them before, but that other guy certainly was not. I definitely would recognize a power like that. Someone else has to be behind that enormous amount of energy."

Vegeta gritted his teeth before continuing. "But it makes no difference. Once we find out who's behind this, I'll put them all in the ground."

* * *

Flying across Universe 6, Goten, Trunks, and Vados were on their way to Earth. Vados was doing her best to fill in the gaps that Elder Kai left in his story.

"His name is Sosuke Aizen," she said. "He's a former Captain of the 13 Court Guard Squads, the group of Soul Reapers that protect the Soul Society. A little more than two years ago, he defected and created an army of Hollows with Soul Reapers powers. Those are called Arrancars."

Trunks and Goten listened intently, but still had questions that had to be answered.

"What exactly was he after?" inquired Trunks.

"He wanted to create the Oken, a key to the Soul King's palace. He likely wanted to become the Soul King himself, and govern over life and death in this universe."

The boys weren't too phased by Aizen's ambitions. They had heard stories of people like Frieza and Zamasu, two beings that sought absolute rule over life in the universe.

 _Been there, done that_ , they both thought, but Goten wanted to examine their enemy further.

"So, what makes this guy so dangerous?" he questioned Vados.

"He has an extraordinary amount of battle power for a Soul Reaper, and his intellect is like few that have ever been seen. In addition to this, he possesses one of the most Zanpakuto, Kyoka Suigetsu."

"Mirror Flower, Water Moon," Trunks translated. "It's water-related?"

"No," Vados answered. " It's more formidable than that. A Zanpakuto's ability is released by a command, followed by the user calling out its name. For example, his release command is 'Shatter, Kyoka Suigetsu'. Once released, he has the power of perfect hypnosis and can manipulate your five senses to experience whatever illusion he desires. It's subtle that you might not even know you were under his spell"

The boys gasped in absolute shock, as Goten quickly leaned towards Vados. "What the hell?" he blurted out. "They managed to beat someone with a power like that?"

"Luckily, a powerful Soul Reaper, who lives on Earth, never looked at his sword release. However, right before he could capture him for good, Aizen escaped, and he hasn't been seen since."

Goten eased up, but now Trunks went in to ask a few questions. "Okay, but how do we know he's not anywhere in the universe?"

"We're looking into all possibilities, but for now, the Soul Society believes that he has to be on Earth or in the Hollow World, Hueco Mundo."

Trunks felt no need to pursue that topic any further, so he moved onto another. "This is my last question, but is there any reason you're the one taking us instead of the universe 6 Supreme Kai?"

Goten's face lit up after hearing Trunks. He didn't question that Vados was taking them, but now that Trunks mentioned it, the trip would've been cut down significantly if they had just teleported. So, what was the deal?

Vados smiled at Trunks' inquiry. "So, you're Supreme Kai didn't fill you in on that?" she asked.

"Huh," Trunks responded. "Fill us in on what?"

"In response to the threats that have come against the Kais, like Zamasu and the creature from your universe known as Majin Buu, the Grand Priest enacted a rule that if a Supreme Kai visits the mortal realm, he must go with his God of Destruction present. Just like your Lord Beerus, Lord Champa is currently in a deep nap and probably will stay like that for another year or two. In addition to the first rule, a semi-permeable barrier was created around the Supreme Kai's and the God of Destruction's planet to prevent any person with mal intentions from intruding."

Goten and Trunks both awed at this discovery, before noticing that they had begun to slow their speed. Then, they came to a halt in the sunny sky of a place that looked like it could be Earth.

"So," Goten said as he scanned the area. "This is the Soul Society. I've gotta say, it's not really looking like the samurai landscape you described."

Vados giggled before answering," This is actually Earth... Karakura Town, Japan, to be exact. This town has the greatest concentration of spiritual beings in the universe, and is also home to the Soul Reaper who defeated Sosuke Aizen."

As Goten and Trunks took in their surroundings, Vados turned her staff on its side, then slowly thrust it into the air, where part of it disappeared. Goten and Trunks watched as suddenly, a sliding door appeared before them and parted down the middle, revealing a blinding light from the other side. From the other side, a few black butterflies flew out and surrounded them.

"Follow me," Vados told them. "The Soul Society is on the other side."

Vados flew through the portal, and the boys followed her. They immediately arrived at a place with tall pillars surrounding the area. The sky was a deep blue, and the air felt pure. This was the Soul Society.

"That gate you just passed through was called the Senkaimon," said Vados. "To come here, your bodies have to be turned from their normal form into spirit particles, called Reishi."

Goten took a deep breath in through his nose, and out through his mouth. He noted how his being felt like there was energy surrounding him.

"This entire place is fundamentally made up of Reishi, so it must be a welcome surprise for both of you. Follow me, there's much more for you to marvel at."

With that, Vados took to the air and the boys followed close behind her. The landscape was covered with white buildings with orange roofs, and lush green forests scattered across the scenery. This place stretched farther than their eyes could see.

"Holy shit," Trunks exclaimed. "This place is big as fuck!"

"708,393 square kilometers to be exact," Vados replied.

As the Saiyans were busy being captured by the sights around them, Vados alerted them that they were approaching their destination.

"I'm going to introduce you to the Head Captain of the 13 Court Guard Squads," she said to them. "I advise you, however, that he is a very serious man. Please try to be as respectful as possible."

They both nodded in agreement, and the three of them descended on the Squad 1 Barracks. They landed on the second story of a large building, and walked around, trying to find the Head Captain's office.

"He should be around here, somewhere," Vados muttered to herself.

The group turned the corner and spotted a Soul Reaper a few yards from them. However, they didn't receive a very warm reception.

"You three," he shouted as he rapidly approached the group. "Stop at once!"

"Finally," Vados said. "Some assistance."

Trunks noted the Soul Reaper's menacing look. "I don't think he sees it that way."

Vados greeted the Soul Reaper, "Hello there, I need to request an audience with Head Captain Yamamoto at once."

"An audience with the Head Captain?" The Soul Reaper laughed. "That won't be happening, and if you don't remove yourselves from the premises, I will be required to use force."

The Soul Reaper put his hand and the handle of his Zanpakuto, but Vados' facial expression did not change in the slightest. "Oh, I really advise that you don't do that."

In the nick of time, another Soul Reaper turned the corner and saw the altercation. When he laid his eyes on the group, he immediately shouted at the Soul Reaper confronting them and sped towards the group.

"Stop!" he yelled as he used a Flash Step to close the distance. "Go, I'll handle this."

The Soul Reaper gasped but bowed out, and Flash Stepped away. The man that now stood before them was dressed differently than the previous one. He wore a white coat over the black shihakusho and had white armbands. He had grey hair and a thin black mustache, and a badge tied around his sleeve. Goten and Trunks knew that this guy had some sort of importance.

The man bowed to them. "My apologies, Miss Vados. We had no idea that you would be visiting us."

"Lieutenant Sasakibe, it's been a very long time. I need to request an audience with your Captain. Would you mind bringing us to him?"

"But of course," the Lieutenant answered. "Please, follow me."

With that, Chojiro led the group to the Head Captain's office. The lieutenant brought them Yamamoto's office, a place that Goten noted internally was extremely open, as there were no doors, but only openings that offered a sweeping view of the Seireitei. Near the back of the room stood an elderly man wearing a long, white coat, a ridiculously long, white, beard, an equally long, white, mustache, eyebrows that hung down his face, and held a brown staff. The old man turned, and Chojiro fell to a knee, and his fist met the ground.

"Captain Yamamoto," he said affirmatively. "You have guests that request an audience with you, sir."

"I see," he responded as he gazed upon the three. "What brings to the Seireitei, Vados?"

Vados smiled."Skipping the formalities, Head Captain? Well, you are a busy man, so I understand. My first order of business was to let you know that my offer still stands after all of these years."

"My answer is still the same. I have no desire to train to be a God of Destruction."

The boys' eyes widened as they silently gasped at this remark. This old man was a God of Destruction candidate?

 _Well, I guess he has to be that strong to be the Head Captain,_ Trunks thought. _I wonder how many years he's been training to get that kind of power? He must have a pretty powerful Zanpakuto, too._

 _He looks super frail,_ thought Goten. _But he definitely does have some kind of huge power behind him. Maybe he's like a Master Roshi type of guy and bulks up when he needs to._

Both boys were curious, but Trunks chose to be reserved. Goten however, looked onto the Head Captain with wide eyes, trying to gauge his true power. Trunks saw his friend in his periphery and tried to give him a subtle nudge to get him to stop. When Goten responded with a quiet grunt, the Head Captain turned his attention to them. The boys felt his eyes on them, and they tried to act normal.

 _God damn it,_ thought Trunks as he scolded himself. _Why didn't I just use telepathy? Now he's gonna think we're a bunch of idiots._

"I know you didn't come here to convince me to become your pupil," said the Head Captain. "Tell me, what business do these two have here?"

Vados proceeded to explain the purpose of the visit, as well as the special nature of their Asauchi. Yamamoto was hesitant when he heard that it would require them to copy another Soul Reaper's Zanpakuto for their own use, but Vados responded saying that this was the will of the universe 6 Supreme Kai, and in exchange for their training, they would assist with capturing Sosuke Aizen.

"These two are the sons of the two most powerful fighters in the multiverse," said Vados. "Naturally, they have the talent to succeed. I think you'll also find that whoever they train with will benefit as well."

Yamamoto pondered and then relented. "Yes, these two are indeed powerful, but I can tell that they lack experience. Given the circumstances, however, I will allow it this one time. Come, I will call a Captain's meeting, and inform them of these events."

Captain Yamamato told Chojiro to call for an immediate Captain's meeting, and his lieutenant bowed his head and left quickly to do so. He then turned and started walking towards the Assembly Hall, and Vados and the boys followed him.

"Vados," Yamamoto said as he kept walking. "Is there any reason that you have come here in the place of the Supreme Kai?"

"Multiversal law now dictates that a Supreme Kai must be accompanied by a God of Destruction, and Lord Champa is currently taking a nap."

Yamamoto sighed. "As I suspected."

Behind the Head Captain and Vados, the two Saiyans were engaging in a telepathic discussion.

 _Did you get a good read on him,_ asked Trunks.

 _I think so,_ replied Goten. _I think he's pretty strong, but not like our dads, you know?_

_Yea, but if he's at that level, I wonder what the 12 other captains are like._

_I'm more curious about the Soul Reaper on Earth. Apparently, he's supposed to be pretty strong, too._

_I apologized for the intrusion,_ Vados said as she jumped into telepathic dialogue. Goten and Trunks gasped, as they didn't even know something like that was possible.

_I wanted to warn you two that the Captains from the other Squads might be quite skeptical of you, so I would suggest that you let him speak._

They both agreed and soon found themselves at the entrance of the Captain's meeting hall. They removed their shoes, left their bags, and entered in. Captain Yamamoto stood in the front facing the entrance, and the other three stood in the middle of the hall, facing him. Soon after they arrived, Chojiro entered the room and kneeled before his Captain.

"Sir," he said. "The Captains have arrived."

"Bring them in," he simply replied.

Trunks' heart started to beat faster. He was nervous, and it showed on his face, but he tried his best to remain composed. He didn't know what they would think of him, or what they would say, but he was already approved by the Head Captain himself, and this thought eased his mind. Goten, on the other hand, wasn't excluded from having his own nerves, but he was more curious as to what they would look like, and how strong they were. Before they could ponder on these thoughts for long, the Captains entered the room and began to fill the room on each side.

Trunks looked back to see who was entering, and the first person he saw was a girl with short, black hair, wearing the same white coat that Yamamoto had on. She met his gaze with her own confused scowl, and Trunks immediately turned his head away. It just so happened to be that they were close enough to the front, that the girl had stood even with Trunks, and he felt her eyes on him. His heart started to beat faster again.

 _Why am I like this,_ he thought as he tried not to make eye contact with anyone else.

Goten looked as the captains on his walked their way to the front. He saw a captain with long blonde hair, one with a jaw-length hair with the middle of it being diagonally cut, a tall captain that he swore was a dog, one with a sleeveless shihakusho and spiked grey hair, and then one with long, black hair, with an eyepatch on his right eye and a vertical scar on his left. They all looked at Goten strangely, but Goten was intrigued by them.

Just then, Captain Yamamoto thrust his staff onto the floor, and all eyes were drawn to him.

"Captains of the 13 Court Guard Squads," he said as his low voice strongly resonated through the room. "Thank you for coming on such short is no immediate danger, but I called this Captain's meeting to explain the situation that I have just been presented with."

The Head Captain explained the nature of the situation to everybody, however, when he explained the concept of the special Asauchi, he was met with some resistance from the Captains, with the first one coming from the Captain standing next to Trunks.

"Captain Yamamoto," she said as Trunks' heart skipped. "Is it really to let them copy a Zanpakuto when we are only 6 months removed from Kugo Ginjo stealing Ichigo Kurosaki's powers?"

Another Captain chimed in after her. This voice now came from Goten's side, as he stepped out to speak.

"I'm gonna have to agree with her on this, Head Captain. This idea doesn't really sound right to me. How do we know we can trust them."

"Captain Soifon and Captain Hirako," Yamamoto responded. "Your concerns are understandable, however, these two arrived here with the God of Destruction's attendant, on the orders of the Supreme Kai, who oversees all things in this universe. For the benefit of the Soul Society, I have chosen to proceed with this plan."

The two Captains backed down from their objection, and Shinji Hirako stepped back in line, as another Captain began to speak.

"I have a question, Head Captain Yamamoto."

Everyone turned their attention to a Captain standing on the left. The Captain wore a pink kimono over his white coat and shihakusho and sported a straw hat.

"Go on, Captain Kyoraku," said Captain Yamamoto.

Kyoraku tipped his hat forward, then spoke to the Head Captain.

"I'm not doubting that this plan will end up helping us finally beat Sosuke Aizen, but I am curious though. Who exactly do you want to train these two guys?"

Everyone's ears perked up, especially Goten and Trunks. They were hoping to be able to choose their own Zanpakuto, but now it was sounding as these hopes were slipping away.

"I have already decided that, and will announce it now," answered the Head Captain.

Even though they both held their tongues, their countenance showed dissatisfaction, and they internally groaned. They already couldn't achieve their own power, now they had to be assigned one? All of the optimism in this journey was slowly slipping away from them.

"Young man in the orange," exclaimed Captain Yamamoto as Goten perked up. "State your name."

Goten scrambled to attention and bowed. "Son Goten, Head Captain, sir!"

"Son Goten," he repeated. "You will stay here in the Seireitei, and begin your training with Captain Toshiro Hitsugaya of Squad 10."

All the Captains were shocked at this announcement, especially the Squad 10 Captain. Goten wanted to look back and find out exactly who Captain Hitsugaya was, but Yamamoto still had his eyes on him, so he decided to make his acquaintance after the meeting.

"Young man in the blue," Captain Yamamoto called. "State your name."

Trunks rehearsed this in his head while Goten had been assigned, and he was ready. He stood to attention and bowed. "Trunks Briefs, Head Captain, sir."

"Trunks, you will go to the world of the living, and begin your training with the Substitute Soul Reaper of Karakura Town, Ichigo Kurosaki."

The Captains were at a loss for words at this assignment. Was it really safe to pair Ichigo with this stranger? Even though the Captains were not in complete agreement with his ruling, no one chose to speak up, for they all knew that his mind was made.

Trunks, however, felt kind of relieved. He got to train with one of the most powerful Soul Reapers around, and if he was as strong as rumored, his Zanpakuto would reflect that in some way.

"Captain Ukitake," Yamamoto continued, "Have Rukia Kuchiki escort Trunks to the world of the living, so that she may explain the situation to Kisuke Urahara and Ichigo Kurosaki."

Jushiro Ukitake, standing in the back, replied with a quick, "Yes, Head Captain," before covering his mouth and coughing.

With that, Captain Yamamoto adjourned the meeting, and Goten and Trunks turned around to figure out who Captain Ukitake and Captain Hitsugaya were. Before they even started walking, several captains had approached them. Out of the corner of his eye, however, Trunks saw Captain Soifon walk past him. They met eyes for a second before she turned her face and Flash Stepped out of the Assembly Hall. Trunks remarked on how fast she was, and then had his attention drawn back to the first Captain to introduce themselves.

"Hi, my name is Retsu Unohana." She gave a warm smile and extended her hand. "I'm the Captain of Squad 4, it's a pleasure to meet both of you."

Trunks felt at ease, and they both introduced themselves to her, as well as most of the other Captains. To their joint surprise, most of the Captains were friendly. Some were more solemn and cold than others, like Captain Kuchiki of Squad 6, Captain Muguruma of Squad 9, and Captain Kurotsuchi of Squad 13 (who wanted them to sign up for his experiments, but they politely declined), but others were rather nice, even if they had their reservations. The only Captains that had chosen not to introduce themselves were Captain Soifon, who left almost immediately, and Kenpachi Zaraki, who gave Goten and Trunks a devilish smile before he departed. As they were exchanging their formalities, Vados said her goodbyes to the boys and the Head Captain and departed back to Champa.

Finally, Toshiro had approached Goten and formally introduced himself. "Toshiro Hitsugaya, of Squad 10. It's a pleasure to meet you."

Goten smiled and extended his hand, "Goten, it's nice to finally meet you. I'm looking forward to starting our training together."

 _Wow,_ Goten thought to himself, _They even have a kid as a Captain. He must be pretty strong._

Toshiro shook his hand and replied, "Well, we better get you situated in the barracks before we begin. Are you ready to leave?"

"Yea, would you mind if I said my goodbyes first?"

Toshiro nodded, and Goten turned to Trunks, who was smiling and conversing with Captain Ukitake and Captain Kyoraku. "Hey, Trunks, I'm about to head out."

"Me, too," he replied. "... I guess this is where we split, huh?"

"I guess so, but we won't be that far. I'll visit Earth when I can. Try not to let this Ichigo kid beat your ass, okay?"

"Hmph, worry about yourself for once."

Trunks dapped his friend up for the last time and then watched him walk out the door. Now, it was his turn to begin his journey.

"So," asked Ukitake, "Are you ready to head out?"

"Yea," Trunks replied as he turned towards the Head Captain. "Head Captain, sir, thank you for trusting in us. I promise we won't let you down."

Yamamoto simply nodded, and Trunks turned and walked out with Jushiro and Shunsui to meet his guide to the world of the living: Rukia Kuchiki.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! This was bit lengthier by comparison, but we're moving forward. The next chapter will introduce Trunks to the Substitute Soul Reaper of Karakura Town.


	4. Needles and Pins

"Old man Yama must be losing his patience," Shunsui told Jushiro as they walked towards the Lieutenant's Assembly Room. "We haven't found him in two years and now he brings in help. Talk about timely."

"We just have to trust his judgment, Shunsui," replied Jushiro."If they came with Vados, then we know they must be promising," he said as he smiled back at Trunks, who closely followed them.

"Tell me, Trunks," Jushiro continued. "How old are you?"

"Oh, I'm 19, sir," he said.

"Ah, you're not that much older than Ichigo. I'm sure you two will get along fine."

"And how old would he be, sir?"

"If I'm not mistaken, I believe that he's 17, and entering his last year of high school."

"I sure do miss my time in the sun," sighed Shunsui, as they turned the corner into the Assembly Room.

"We had our fun in our youth, Shunsui," replied Ukitake. "And the sun is still shining down on us."

The three of them entered the Assembly Room. The room was devoid of any other Lieutenants, save for Nanao Ise and Rukia Kuchiki. Upon seeing their Captains, they walked to greet them but shared a confused look as to who the boy was standing behind them.

"Ah, my sweet Nanao," Shunsui said as his lieutenant approached. "I'd like to introduce you to someone. This is Trunks."

Trunks gave a smile and extended his hand. "Nice to meet you."

She shook his hand as she gave a half-hearted greeting, still confused on who this boy was with strange clothing.

Her Captain stepped in and said, "Now, I know you're very confused right now, but I'll be happy to explain on our way back to the barracks."

Shunsui waved his goodbye and tipped his hat to Trunks, "Try not to beat up Ichigo too badly."

Trunks gave a light chuckle, and Shunsui and Nanao departed. Jushiro now turned Rukia's attention to Trunks.

"Rukia, Trunks will be staying in the world of the living to train with Ichigo Kurosaki. I'm going to need you to escort him and introduce the two. I'm sure Trunks will explain things to you on your way there."

Rukia bowed her head and replied, "Yes, Captain."

"I'll also allow you to stay there for a little while," he added. " I know it's been a long time since you've seen your friend."

Rukia gasped as she quickly blurted out, "But Captain, who will look after the Squad if I'm not present?"

Jushiro smiled and waved his hand. "Don't worry, I'm feeling a lot more energetic these days. In any case, Kiyone and Sentaro can take over just in case."

Rukia bowed her head again in joy and thanked her Captain. Ukitake wished them both well and departed back to his barracks. Seeing how happy Rukia was to return to Earth made Trunks smile.

"You seem pretty happy," Trunks said to her. "You must be good friends with Ichigo."

"Well, he did save my life and let me live with his family." Rukia quickly put her hand out. "Sorry, I should've introduced myself, first. I'm Rukia Kuchiki, lieutenant of Squad 13."

"I'm Trunks Briefs, it's nice to meet you."

"We'll be heading to the Senkaimon, so we'll have some time for you to tell me what's going on, but maybe you should start with who you are."

"Me first, huh?"

"Well, technically you are the stranger here."

"Fair enough, it's gonna be a long one though."

Rukia started walking out of the Assembly Room. "Good, I like long stories."

Trunks followed her out. "Well, I'll start by saying I'm not actually from your universe…"

As they walked through the Seireitei, Trunks did his best to explain the structure of the two universes, and how the hierarchy of the multiverse operated. He found out from her that most Soul Reapers didn't know of other life existing outside of the three realms they were familiar with. In fact, he speculated with Rukia that there were only 3 people in the Soul Society besides Yamamoto and Sasikabe knew this fact. Judging by their willingness to accept the Supreme Kai's plan, it had to be Unohana, Kyoraku, and Ukitake backed up by the fact that they were the oldest Captains alive.

He then talked about himself, and how he was half Saiyan and half Human, and how his father was from a planet that was destroyed by a space dictator. He then told her about his daily life, how he was a sophomore in college, and how he wasn't that interested in fighting and training as much as his dad. He saw that Rukia was fascinated by his story, but he deferred to her now to tell him more about herself, and the world she lived in.

She started explaining the physical aspects of the Seireitei, like how it was surrounded by the Shakonmaku, and how the walls were made of Sekkiseki. Then she talked about the 13 Court Guard Squads and their responsibilities.

Trunks asked if she had any relation to Captain Kuchiki, to which she replied that he was her adopted brother/brother-in-law. He then asked her about the female Captain with the short black hair, Rukia told him that it was Captain Soifon, leader of Squad 2, known as the Stealth Force. When she inquired why he asked, he said that she had seemed rather unfriendly, to which Rukia replied that he was putting it lightly.

* * *

Elsewhere in the Soul Society, Captain Soifon marched back to the barracks with her lieutenant, Marechiyo Omaeda, feasting on a bag of potato chips. She was still bothered by the Captain's meeting, and thinking about it was not soothing in the slightest.

 _It's inconceivable,_ she thought as she clenched his fists. _The last threat to the Soul Society steals someone's powers, so the next thing you do is turn around a give them away? And then you give away Hitsugaya and Kurosaki's Zanpakutos, to those two misfits from who knows where._

Suddenly, she started to slightly blush through her fiery frown.

_And then that boy with the purple hair had the nerve to look at me like that, it just makes me … urrghh!_

Soifon stopped dead in her tracks, and Omaeda, who was consumed with finding the bottom of his party-sized bag, bumped into her. She was unmoved and rather unaffected by this, but a surprised Omaeda took a couple of steps back.

"Hey," he exclaimed as he swallowed a mouthful of chips. "Why'd you stop, Captain?"

She grunted, then replied, "I'm leaving. You're in charge."

"Huh?"

"And, Marechiyo, if I find out you've had another barbecue while I'm away, you're a dead man."

Before Omaeda could get a word out, she vanished. He shook his head left and right to find her, but to no avail.

"Aw, that's not fair, Captain," he shouted aimlessly into the air. "You know I had plans today!"

* * *

Trunks and Rukia continued to walk towards the Senkaimon, as Rukia shared more anecdotes about her life in the world of the living and her adventures with her friends on Earth. Finally, they approached the gate to the living world, and the Kido Corps were already stationed there to open it. Rukia noted that this was Ukitake's doing. They stopped and she asked him if there was anything he needed to do before he left.

As she said this, Trunks had sensed something in the distance, he quickly turned his head to look.

"Is something wrong?" Rukia asked as she looked concerned.

"... nothing," Trunks said as he turned his head back to Rukia. "Sorry, thought I heard something."

With that, they both went through the Senkaimon, and walked through the sliding doors, and walked out into the sky of Karakura. Once he took a step out of the doors, Trunks started falling towards Earth. Rukia tried to grab him but missed completely. He only fell about 10 feet before he stabilized himself.

"Thanks for the heads up," he said as he floated with his back towards the earth.

Rukia gave a nervous giggle. "Hehe… sorry, I forgot to mention that one." She then noticed how he was moving slightly in the air. "Wait a minute... are you flying?!"

"Well, yea," he said confusedly. "Aren't you?"

"No, I'm just using my spiritual pressure to walk on air."

"That's interesting. Maybe you should get on my back, we can get to our destination faster. Plus we'll have an aerial view of the city."

Rukia reluctantly agreed, and they flew into Karakura Town.

"By the way, Rukia," he asked. "What's time is it?" Trunks asked this because he knew it should've been around 2 in the morning at home, so he wondered what the time difference would be.

"I don't have a watch on me," she replied. "But I'd venture to say that it's about 1."

Accounting for probable time zone differences, Trunks didn't think it was a huge deal. However, as he flew over Karakura, he noticed that there weren't as many technological advancements as he was used to, mainly flying cars.

"Sorry for asking again," Trunks said. "But what's today's date and year?"

"It's the 16th of August, 2016."

"Really," he exclaimed. "We're in Age 785. I didn't think there would be that big a difference in years between us."

Rukia shrugged, then changed the subject. "You know, for someone that can fly, you're not very fast."

Trunks smirked. "Hmph, not that fast huh? Well, you better hold on tight then…"

"Wait, what do you mean-"

Before she could finish, Trunks powered up and took a lap around the Earth within a second. When he arrived back at his starting location, he turned back to Rukia.

"Fast enough for you?" he asked.

Rukia, with her head lowered, quietly whispered, "I think I'm gonna be sick."

Trunks started laughing. "Sorry, but you asked for it."

"A little bit of a warning would've been great, you jerk!"

"Sorry," he said as he continued laughing. "Couldn't help myself there."

"Gosh, you're just like Ichigo."

Trunks laugh died out, as he said, "Speaking of Ichigo, are we gonna go meet up with him?"

"Not right now," she replied. "I actually don't know where he would be." Rukia then pointed out a one-story house in the distance. "You see that house with the sign on it? That's where we're headed."

Trunks flew to the house and landed right in front. Outside of the house were two children, a boy with spiky red hair, and a girl with black pigtails.

"I swear Ururu," the boy said to the girl. "When school starts I'm gonna wallop that kid so bad, he's gonna be the only guy in the Soul Society with a wheelchair."

"You can't be so violent, Jinta," Ururu quietly replied.

The two kids then looked up and saw Rukia and Trunks walking towards them. Jinta told Ururu to go inside and alert Urahara.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't Rukia," he said as he crossed his arms. "That better not be another moocher with you."

"Now, now Jinta," a voice said behind the door. "That's no way to treat our guests."

The door slid open, and the man spoke. "Hello Rukia, it's nice to see you again, and I see you've brought company."

"Kisuke, this is Trunks," said Rukia. "And Trunks, this is Kisuke Urahara. He actually used to be the Captain."

"That was a long time ago, my dear," replied Urahara. "But now I'm the happy owner of this shop. Come inside, we'll talk over some tea."

The two followed Urahara inside. Jinta gave Trunks a dirty look, which Trunks ignored.

"Weirdo," Jinta muttered to himself as he crossed his arms and stayed outside.

Trunks, Rukia, and Kisuke sat in a room separated from the shop, as his employee, Tessai, poured them all a cup of tea. Once he was done, everyone thanked him, and he sat down. Trunks then spotted a black cat entering the room.

"Yoruichi," said Urahara to the cat. "Come join us, we have guests."

"It's always nice to see you, Rukia," the cat said.

Trunks looked at Urahara with a surprised look. "Wha? You have a talking cat?"

Urahara turned to Trunks and said, "Well, she's only like that part of the time."

Trunks were confused, but then, out of the corner of his eye, he saw the cat transform into a human woman. Trunks turned and he couldn't believe it.

"Wait, but, how did you… what?"

Urahara motioned her to sit. "Look what you did Yoruichi, you got the boy all flustered."

Yoruichi fell over laughing. "Sorry, you know that I love to do that."

Trunks settled himself and likened her ability to Puar's. They exchanged formalities as she sat down, and Kisuke began to speak.

"I've been contacted already by Captain Ukitake," he said. "So I won't ask you to explain your situation as you've probably done multiple times today. However, Ichigo is currently at work, and won't be leaving for another hour. He's actually supposed to be coming here to train."

Urahara took a sip of his tea and continued. "In the meantime, I'd like to know a little bit more about you, Trunks."

"Well, what would you like to know?" Trunks asked.

"Oh, nothing too personal," Urahara replied. "But Ukitake did say you were full of talent, so I'm a bit curious about the nature of your powers."

During their entire conversation from Soul Society to Karakura Town, neither Trunks nor Rukia talked about their abilities. Because of this, Trunks tried to go into as much detail as possible, explaining how he could control his energy, or Ki, at will, lowering it or raising it depending on the situation. In addition to this, he could manipulate his energy for defensive and offensive purposes. He held up a small energy ball in the palm of his hand as an example. Kisuke compared this to Kido spells and found them to be very similar, even though Kido was more versatile by design.

Trunks then told them about his Super Saiyan transformations. He explained that there were many forms and variations, but he only had access to three. The first was Super Saiyan, which increased his power by 50 times. The next was Super Saiyan 2, which doubled his power from Super Saiyan. The last was a form that only Goten and himself had achieved. They called it Pseudo Blue, but it was basically a powered-up Super Saiyan 2, with the infusion of God Ki, which he explained was the energy that Gods of Destruction used. The form was undoubtedly stronger than Super Saiyan 2, but he noted that it was a sign that they lacked the training to become Super Saiyan Gods, and further beyond. Trunks offered to demonstrate his abilities, but Urahara asked that he save his optimism for when Ichigo arrived, lest he attracts Hollows with a massive spike in energy.

Urahara took a minute to soak all of this new information in and then asked Trunks if he knew about a Zanpakuto's Shikai and Bankai. When Trunks replied that he did not, Kisuke gave him a quick lesson about these forms, and that in Ichigo's case, Shikai was always active. He also gave him a lesson on Kido, divulging into Hado and Bakudo spells, though he remarked that with Ki, Trunks didn't need to learn this unless he wanted to.

As Trunks tried to take this all in, he sensed something in the distance. "Hey," he said to the group. "Do you guys feel that?"

 _So he also has great sensory abilities as well,_ Urahara noted. _At this age, the kid's gonna be special, and he's only gonna make Ichigo a much better fighter than I can._

"It feels like one," Yoruichi said to Trunks. "You two should go, and Rukia, make sure Ichigo doesn't try to fight him, at least not in public."

"As an added measure of insurance," Urahara said as he handed Rukia a folded piece of paper. "Give this to Ichigo when you see him, just in case he gets feisty."

Rukia nodded, and the two exited Urahara's shop and prepared to fly. As Rukia climbed onto Trunks' back, he turned his head to the tops of some buildings to his left.

"Hey," said Rukia. "The Hollow's the other way."

Trunks turned his head away. "Right, sorry about that."

They took to the sky and made their way towards their enemy.

* * *

Ichigo Kurosaki made his way out of Unagiya's Shop and met three of his friends on the street waiting for him.

"Hey, Ichigo," said a girl with long orange hair as she waved to him. "How was work?"

"Hey, Orihime," he replied. "Work is always rough when that lady feels like working me to the bone." He looked at the other two people with Orihime. "Wow, got Chad and Uryu out of the caves."

"Hmph," Uryu replied as he pushed up his glasses. "We have jobs, too, you know. The hospital is a very stressful place to be working."

"Yea, I bet," Ichigo said as he turned to Chad. "How about you, how's construction treating ya?"

"It's okay," Chad simply replied.

"I thought it would be nice if we all got a quick bite to eat," said a cheerful Orihime. "I feel like it's been so long since I've seen all of you."

"It's only been a week, Orihime," Chad said.

She giggled and replied, "Oh yea, I guess I just wanted an excuse to go to that new donut shop down the block."

"Sounds like a plan," Ichigo said. "I need a stress reliever anyway." With that, the group started walking up the street.

Ichigo Kurosaki, next to the Head Captain, was the most powerful Soul Reaper alive. Everyone leaned on him, and this fact was the basis of his fear. Ichigo had used the Mugetsu to defeat Sosuke Aizen, but when the black flames cleared from his attack, Aizen was nowhere to be found. He was surely hit by it, but the lack of a body or any piece of clothing led everyone to assume that he had somehow managed to escape. In exchange for the Final Getsuga Tenshou, Ichigo sacrificed his Soul Reaper powers, and to him, the only person who could stop Aizen if he returned had vanished. For the 17 months that he was left powerless, most days were spent trying not to let his fear show so he didn't worry anyone else.

When Kugo Ginjo offered Ichigo a path back to power, he took it with little hesitation. Zangetsu was finally restored to him, and he thought his fear would leave, but Ichigo's anxiety only grew in a different direction. What if Aizen came back stronger than before, and what if he didn't have the power to stop him? These thoughts motivated him to train, and he frequented Urahara's Shop to train with Kisuke. Slowly but surely, however, he regained some optimism and rekindled the joy he found in his family, friends, and everyday life.

Suddenly, Ichigo and his friends heard the shrieks of a Hollow nearby. "I guess donuts will have to wait for a bit," remarked Ichigo as the group ran to face the Hollow.

Once they arrived at the scene, they observed that there were three hollows in the area. They were larger than average, but nothing to really be afraid of. Ichigo pulled his combat pass out of his pocket and turned to Uryu.

"Hey," Ichigo said. "I know you don't wanna start problems with the Soul Society, so could you hold my body while I handle this real quick?"

"Hmph, whatever," Uryu replied.

Ichigo shoved his combat pass into his chest, and his body fell back into Uryu's arms, as he took on his Soul Reaper form.

Ichigo drew Zangetsu from his back and faced it forward. "Sorry, I forgot Kon at home today, but I'll make it quick."

"That's not fair," remarked Chad. "You killed the Hollows last time."

Ichigo turned around and faced Chad. "You guys have been fighting Hollows without me for a year and a half so I think it evens out."

"Oh, I know," Orihime exclaimed. "How about you guys decide with Rock, Paper, Scissors."

"I guess that works," replied Ichigo as Chad shrugged.

The two boys stuck their fists out and started chanting. "Rock, Paper-"

As they shook their fist down for the third time, they saw that the Hollows in front of them were sliced several times as they shrieked and disappeared. All of them were shocked, as none of them had seen who was responsible. Then, Ichigo sensed someone in the sky and looked up to see someone floating down towards the ground. About 10 yards from them, landed a boy with lavender hair in a denim jacket. He had a Zanpakuto in his right hand and a scabbard in his left.

Trunks tucked his sword away in its scabbard and made them both disappear. Ichigo widened his stance and gripped Zangetsu tighter, while Chad summoned Brazo Derecho del Gigante, Uryu put down Ichigo's body and readied his bow and arrow, and Orihime brought out her Shun Shun Rikka.

"Ichigo," Uryu whispered. "Could this guy be another Fullbringer?"

"I'm not sure," he replied. "It doesn't look like it, but keep your eyes peeled."

Across from them, Trunks stared back at the group with their weapons drawn on him.

 _What the hell_ , he thought. _She left me on my own to deal with this? They all look like they wanna kill me. I better say something before it gets awkward._

"Hi," he yelled to the orange-haired Soul Reaper. "Are you Ichigo Kurosaki?"

"Yea," he replied. "And just who the hell are you?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Had this done for more than a week but haven't had my laptop because... life. Gonna bust out the next chapter quick (hopefully). As always, to anybody reading, thanks a bunch..


	5. Headup

Trunks slowly started walking towards the group. "I'm Trunks... Trunks Briefs."

"Trunks Briefs? Yea, sure." Ichigo then pointed to Uryu. "That's Shirt Pants over there." Then he turned and pointed to Orihime behind him. "And over here is Skirt Blouse, so why don't you just cut the bullshit and tell me who you really are."

"Wow," Trunks replied. "Haven't heard that one since middle school. I'm not surprised, though, Rukia did say you would be like this."

"You bastard, did you do something to Rukia!?"

Suddenly, Ichigo was punched in the back of the head. "Ow," he shouted as he grabbed his skull. "What hell was that?"

Ichigo turned around saw Rukia standing behind him.

"You know," Rukia said. "Ichigo, you can be a tad rude sometimes."

The group was shocked to see her there, except for Orihime, who could not contain her excitement. Chad disengaged Brazo Derecha, and Uryu withdrew his bow and spoke.

"So I'm guessing the Soul Society sent you here with him," said Uryu.

"Yes," said Rukia. "It's a long story that Urahara can explain better than I can, but I can tell you that Trunks isn't an enemy."

"Kisuke knows about this, too?" Ichigo said as he walked over to his body and entered in. He then stood up from the ground and brushed the dirt off of his clothes. "Sorry if I'm not being too easy-going, but I'm gonna need something explained before I go anywhere with this guy."

Rukia sighed and handed him a note. "Read this," she said. "It's from Kisuke."

Ichigo took the note and unfolded it. "Ichigo," he read aloud. "Be patient. Meet me at the shop and I'll explain everything." He then folded the note back and tucked it away in his pocket. "Well, if he didn't say anything in the note, then he must have a lot to tell me. Sorry guys, I'm gonna have to take a rain check on the donuts, I'm gonna go see what's going on here."

He said his goodbyes to his friends, and Ichigo, Rukia, and Trunks began walking over to Urahara's shop.

"So, Trunks," Ichigo said. "You don't really have a traditional Japanese name. Where are you from, America?"

"Um, this is gonna be hard to believe," Trunks replied. "But, I'm actually not from your universe."

"Say what?"

"Yea, I'm from an Earth in a mirror universe. It's kind of similar to here, but there's still some differences that I'm seeing."

"Oh, yeah, like what?"

"Well, as far as I can tell, you guys don't have any flying cars around here."

"Flying cars?! You know what, maybe I should let Kisuke explain this."

"Oh, sure…"

After about 5 minutes, they found themselves in front of Urahara's shop, as Kisuke flung the door open to greet them.

"Welcome back, Ichigo!" he exclaimed. "I hope you got a little acquainted with your new friend."

"My new what?!" Ichigo challenged. "You've got a lot of explaining to do Kisuke!"

"And explain I will. Come inside, I made more tea for you all."

As they walked into the shop, Trunks stopped, then turned around and looked out towards the rooftops in the distance.

"Sorry," he said to them. "I uh, have to take care of some real quick, I'll be right back."

He then vanished before their eyes.

"Huh," pondered Ichigo. "Where the hell did he go?"

"Oh, he'll be back," said Kisuke as he turned and walked into the shop. "It seems young Trunks has a fan."

Trunks used nothing but Rapid Movement to move from Urahara's shop to the top of a building nearby. Trunks landed in the back, and to the front-facing, the shop was Trunks' target.

"Hi, Captain," Trunks said as he walked forward. "Nice day we're having."

The Captain slowly stood up and faced him.

Trunks continued. "Lieutenant Kuchiki told me that your Captain Soifon, leader of the Stealth Force. Makes sense that you're the one following me."

"Took you long enough to notice," replied Soifon.

"Well, I noticed you trailing me since we were in the Soul Society, but I wasn't sure if I should say anything."

"And why was that?"

Trunks stopped a couple of feet in front of her and continued. "Because I know why, and I get it. I don't expect that everyone is gonna trust me right off the bat, but I promise you I'm not here to hurt you guys."

"Half of the Captains were nearly bisected by someone we thought wouldn't hurt us, so spare me of your promises. They don't mean shit to me."

"Understandable… were you one of the Captains that got bisected?"

"Why would that be any of your business?"

"Oh, it wouldn't be. I'm sorry, that was rude of me." Trunks took a deep breath, then continued. "It's my first day here, and I'm trying to start it on the right foot. Kisuke Urahara is in there already, breaking the situation down for Ichigo, who's probably objecting to the idea anyway. I'm not gonna force him to do anything, but I guess that either way, we're gonna have a sparring match to at least gauge where we're both at. If you'd like to come and confirm any of your doubts, you're more than welcome to."

Soifon turned around and took a few seconds before replying.

"I'll pass," she said as she then vanished from Trunks' sight.

Trunks put his hands in his pockets and exhaled. _I'm sure she and Dad would be friends_ , he thought as he jumped off of the roof and flew back to Urahara's. _She's got a killer glare though… I wonder what her deal is_.

Before he could think more about his encounter, he landed at the shop and ran inside. He opened the door and immediately heard Ichigo vehemently opposing the plan. He walked inside as Ichigo continued to rant.

"So after Ginjo steals my powers," Ichigo yelled. "You guys decided to auction them off to a guy who's not even from this universe? How do we know that he's not gonna do the same thing? This could all be another Ginjo, Tsukishima plot for all we know."

"I hear your concerns, Ichigo," said Kisuke. "But Trunks here is coming from the head of our universe, a little more credible than Xcution, don't you think?"

"Yea, well, this isn't flying with me. This is gonna have to be the one thing I pass on."

"How about we have ourselves a wager then."

Everyone was surprised by Urahara's proposition.

"What kind of wager are we talking?" Ichigo asked.

"If you accept," Urahara said. "You and Trunks will spar in the basement."

"And what happens if I win?"

"Hmmm… then I'll give you...200,000 yen."

Ichigo and Rukia both dropped their jaws and they both shouted, "200,000 yen?!"

Ichigo continued, "No bullshit?! You got yourself a deal!"

Trunks had no idea how 200,000 Japanese yen converted to Zeni, but judging from their reactions, Kisuke was placing a heavy bet on him.

"Don't get too excited yet, Ichigo," said Kisuke as he smiled. "You still have to beat him. If you lose… well, I don't think I have to spell it out for you."

"No worries," Ichigo said as he took his combat pass out of his pocket and thrust it into his chest. He stood up in his Soul Reaper form and said, "I don't plan on it."

Trunks stood up and summoned his sword, as he and his challenger met each other's gaze and exchanged cocky smiles.

They all made their way to the basement. Trunks was amazed at how a massive training area could be built under the shop. He stopped, however, and saw that as Kisuke, Yoruichi and Rukia watched from afar, Ichigo had drawn his sword and widened his stance. Trunks got serious, tossed his scabbard to the side, and got into his stance. Here was his chance to finally showcase his abilities, to finally prove that he wasn't just a walking anecdote. This was time to show them he was worthy.

Urahara raised his hand to the sky and shouted to the boys. "Gentleman, are you ready?!"

Both of them were fixed on the other, neither budging an inch.

"BEGIN," and as Urahara dropped his hand, Trunks and Ichigo rushed at each other and clashed swords.

Trunks pulled his sword away from the clash and began to swing his sword at Ichigo from many different angles, but Ichigo blocked each attack. However, Trunks hit Ichigo with a spinning back kick and charged at him with a mix of sword strikes and punches. Ichigo dodged most of these and blocked the others, and then took the opening left in one of Trunks' slashes to send him in the air with an uppercut. Trunks stabilized himself in the air as Ichigo leaped towards him. The two continued their clashes across the battlefield, destroying rock formations and leaving holes in the ground from the shockwaves.

Suddenly, Trunks found himself on the defensive, as he flew backward toward the ground with Ichigo pursuing him. With his Zanpakuto in his right hand, he fired an energy blast with his left hand. Ichigo caught off guard, was able to form an X with both of his arms, and block the blast, as the two of them dropped back to the ground.

"Not bad," Ichigo said. "I didn't know people from your universe can fly and use Kido attacks."

"Well," Trunks replied. "It's not Kido, and I'm pretty sure every other fighter in the multiverse knows how to fly except for you guys."

"In any case, your attacks aren't bad, but your inexperience with a Zanpakuto really shows, and if that's all the power you can muster, then you might as well quit."

"Sorry, I thought we were just warming up. If you wanted more power, you should've just said so."

Trunks clasped his fists and stood up straight. The rocks around him started to float and the ground began to crack. His hair rose and he let out a yell, as he transformed into a Super Saiyan.

"What the hell!?," yelled Ichigo. _His hair turned gold and his spiritual pressure shot up. What the hell is this guy?_

"So," Trunks said. "You ready?"

Ichigo gritted his teeth and pulled Zangetsu back behind him. Trunks smiled, then charged towards Ichigo and landed a punch to his jaw, which sent him flying. Before Ichigo could get his bearings, Trunks appeared behind him and kicked him in the other direction, sending him through a few rock formations. Trunks stood and waited, as Ichigo lay under a pile of rocks. In a few seconds, he heard Ichigo's voice from under the rubble.

" **GETSUGA, TENSHOU!** "

From under the pile of rocks, a large horizontal slash of energy came straight for Trunks. Trunks yelled as he put his sword in front of him and took the Getsuga Tenshou head-on, causing it to split into two and explode in the distance behind him. As Ichigo emerged, Trunks met him with a smile.

"You split my attack in two," remarked Ichigo as he wiped the blood from his cheek. "Guess I shouldn't hold back anymore."

He threw his blade in front of him and gripped his right shoulder.

Trunks felt his energy increasing. _Wait_ , he thought. _Is he gonna do it?_

**"BAN, KAI!"**

Ichigo's body enveloped in an aura that then exploded. Trunks shielded his face from the blast as he was forcefully pushed back a few yards. He uncovered his face, and as the smoke cleared, he saw that Ichigo's outfit had changed. Trunks noted before that his shihakusho was different from any other Soul Reaper's that he had seen to this point, but now Ichigo sported a new one, with X's down the middle, new gloves, and a sleek black blade.

" **Tensa Zangetsu,** " Ichigo said.

"So, this is Bankai…" Trunks said as he clasped his fists again.

One front strand of hair began to lift, as he strained and his aura began to discharge electricity. He yelled once again and transformed into a Super Saiyan 2.

Ichigo smiled. "Aren't you full of surprises?"

"I had to pull this out to keep up with you. You're keeping me on my toes."

With that, the two disappeared, resuming their clashes at even greater speeds than before. At this point, Rukia could not keep up with the action, only catching glimpses of them occasionally. Kisuke and Yoruichi watched intently and were impressed. Ichigo was now challenged with an opponent that fought differently than anyone else he had faced. He now had an adversary that threw out punches, kicks, sword strikes, and energy blasts all in quick succession. However, Ichigo regained the upper hand against Trunks.

After blocking a Getsuga-fueled sword strike, Trunks was sent flying back as he was chased down by Ichigo. Trunks stopped himself and barely dodged another slash by flying straight into the air.

"HAAAA!" Ichigo yelled as he launched a black and red Getsuga at Trunks.

Trunks quickly retaliated with a Galick Gun, clashing with the Getsuga Tenshou as he struggled to keep it from reaching him. "AAAHHH!" he yelled as he pushed out more energy to enhance his beam.

The effect was an explosion that had the spectators of the fight grabbing for anything to keep themselves from flying away. When the smoke cleared, Ichigo saw that Trunks was largely unaffected by the blast.

 _Dammit_ , he thought, _I'm giving this guy everything I got and I still can't put him away._

 _Wow_ , thought Trunks. _He's no joke. I better finish this now before he really does a number on me._

Trunks made his hands into fists as he closed his eyes and concentrated. He took a deep breath in and exhaled as he quickly transformed into his Pseudo Blue form. His appearance remained unchanged, but his aura took on an inner blue hue while retaining the outer golden rim. Ichigo was shocked that Trunks still had power hidden.

 _No way_ , he thought. _What's going on? His spiritual pressure just shot through the roof but… there's some kind of different pressure. It's like, I'm in an ocean or something._

"How about we wrap this up, Ichigo," said Trunks. "I'm kinda getting hungry."

Ichigo gripped Tensa Zangetsu and launched his fiercest Getsuga Tenshou at Trunks. When it got close to him, Trunks disappeared and reappeared behind Ichigo. Before he could turn around, Trunks elbowed Ichigo's head into the ground, and as he quickly turned over, he found that Trunks had his hand open right in his face, ready to fire an energy blast.

"STOP," yelled Urahara.

The exhibition match was over. Trunks won, and much to his disbelief, Ichigo had lost. Trunks powered down as he removed his hand from Ichigo's face, and sat down in front of him.

"You got me," said Ichigo as he sat up. "Tell me though, was that your full power?"

Trunks nodded. "Yea, for the time being at least."

"How did you even get that strong anyway?"

"Well… part of it is genetic, and the other part is training with my dad at 400 times normal gravity."

"Huh?! 400-times gravity? What are you, insane? That would kill anybody."

"True, but if you start small it becomes… bearable."

"I'll take your word for it. What about the genetic part?"

"That'll take a bit more time to explain."

"No problem, I got time today."

And so they talked...

"Your dad used to be a Soul Reaper?" Trunks asked. "Was he like a Captain or something?"

"He might've been," Ichigo said. "He held his own against Aizen, but he still hasn't told me anything yet."

"So you're dad doesn't talk about his past either?"

And they talked...

"So if you guys can make wishes whenever you want," said Ichigo. "And you have beans that heal all your injuries, how the hell does anyone die?"

Trunks laughed, "It's a little more complicated than that, but I feel you."

And they talked...

"So are you and Orihime talking or… what's going on with that?" Trunks asked.

"Ah, why does everyone have to sweat me about that?" replied Ichigo. "It's not like I don't like her, it's just… bad timing, ya know? I don't wanna change the dynamic of our group. And shouldn't you be worried about your own things, like, I don't know, Soifon stalking you?"

"I promise you it's not like that," replied Trunks. "She was very… interesting. She's probably just keeping tabs on me for the Soul Society or some shit."

"Hey, all I'm saying is that she never had to keep tabs on me."

"Get the fuck outta here," Trunks said as he playfully pushed a laughing Ichigo.

And they kept talking...

"College is okay," Trunks said. "You just gotta stay on top of studying and you'll be fine."

"Yea yea yea," Ichigo replied. "I'm guessing you're not much of a socialite, but how does that part of college work?"

"You'll definitely meet new people in the beginning, it's just up to you if you want to stay friends with those people. I met a lot of people, but I wouldn't call them friends. I'm probably gonna hang out with Goten more than anybody, and next year when he leaves freshman dorms, we'll rent our own place."

"So I guess I would be asking the wrong person about partying."

"I've been to a good amount… they're alright, not my thing, but maybe you'll feel different about it."

"Eh, I'll probably be busy anyway with studying."

"What are you gonna go for?"

"Still debating, but I think I wanna be an attorney."

"Ooh, nice."

Ichigo rolled his eyes. "Student loans and all-nighters, I'm so excited. What about you?"

"Electrical engineering, I might try to minor in Comp Sci if my major doesn't kill me first."

And they kept talking...

"It's… stressful," said Ichigo as he lowered his head. "He could be anywhere, and he could come back 10 times as strong as he did before, and then what? He kills all of us?"

"Nope," Trunks said as he stood up and reached his hand out. "You get stronger, that's what." Ichigo grabbed his hand and pulled himself up. "I feel the same stress you do. Soon enough my dad's gonna get old, and I'm gonna have to protect the universe. It sucks that it falls on Goten and me, but it is what it is. In the meantime, how bout I help you get stronger. I'll teach you all of my moves, too."

" **We'll** get stronger together," Ichigo replied. "Now get your Zanpakuto out."

"Huh? Wait, are you sure? You don't have to do this if you're not okay with it."

"Listen," Ichigo said as he raised his fist to Trunks. "I'm gonna put my trust in you, as long as you put your trust in me."

Trunks smiled and fist-bumped Ichigo. Trunks summoned his sword and handed it to him.

Ichigo looked all around the Zanpakuto, searching for a clue. "So, how the hell does this work?"

"Um," Trunks said. "Try focusing your energy into it. That's what I do when I bring it out"

"Alright, here goes," Ichigo said as he gripped the scabbard and handle. Summoning his spiritual pressure from within, he forced it into the blade. After 10 seconds, he stopped.

"I don't think it worked," he said with an exhale. "Maybe… maybe if we both try it, it might do something."

"It's worth a shot," said Trunks as he put his hands on the Zanpakuto as well.

"All right, on three, we do it."

Trunks nodded as Ichigo counted down, and both of them concentrated their spiritual pressure on the sword. After a couple of seconds light emitted from the Zanpakuto, and an intense feeling came over both of them from the cores of their being. Both of them screamed as the light enveloped them and the surrounding area. After a few seconds, the light dissipated and the boys opened their eyes, surprised at what they were holding. Trunks gasped, as he saw that his sword had changed its form.

"That's… definitely not Zangetsu," Ichigo remarked.

Trunks took the sword for himself. "No way, this is just like the sword the future me had."

Trunks took the straps hanging from the sides and buckled them across his chest.

"There's a future you?"

"I'll explain that one later."

The two exited the basement and went upstairs to find Kisuke and Rukia waiting for them.

"Took you two long enough," Urahara said as he looked at the new sword on Trunks' back. "But I see that you two came to an understanding."

"Yea, but Kisuke," started Ichigo. "What's the deal? It doesn't look anything like my Shikai. Do you think it worked?"

"I'm sure it did, but Zangetsu might have changed his appearance to suit Trunks' tastes."

"I guess so." Ichigo looked at a nearby clock on the wall. "Huh? It's 5 already? We were down there for three hours?" He looked at Trunks, who returned him a shrug. "Is what it is, I guess. Come on, I'll tell my dad you're both staying over dinner."

"Actually, Ichigo," said Kisuke. "Trunks is gonna be staying here." He then, seemingly out of nowhere, whipped out an apron. "Starting now, he's going to be Urahara Shop's newest employee!"

Trunks, with a half-hearted smile, accepted the apron. "Oh… okay. Guess I'll see you guys tomorrow then."

"Sounds like a plan," Ichigo said as Rukia and he waved goodbye, and departed.

"So Trunks, I saw that you met my former superior, Soifon, earlier. I hope she didn't scare you."

Trunks gasped. "Wait, she was your superior?"

"Yep, but that's a story for another day. I wouldn't worry about her too much, though."

"My dad has unintentionally prepared me to deal with people like this all my life, so I'm not worried about it."

Kisuke nodded. "Well how about we eat, and then we'll discuss what you'll be doing here during your stay."

Trunks agreed, then began to put on the apron. "Hey, Mr. Urahara?"

Urahara waved his hand at Trunks. "No need to be so formal, my boy."

"Sorry… Kisuke. Rukia and Ichigo told me you're a pretty tech-savvy person."

"Well, I do try my best to be. Why do you inquire?"

"Have you ever thought about building a gravity chamber?"

"A gravity chamber, you say? Do you have one of these built-in your universe?"

"My Grandpa built one about 20 years ago for my friend's dad."

"Well, I guess your grandfather beat me to it. A gravity chamber is one of those inventions I have a schematic for, but never really got around to building. I have one designed to simulate 400 times Earth's normal gravity."

"Can you build one that simulates 500 times gravity?"

Kisuke smiled and tipped his hat. "Well, with a few tweaks to the design, and with the help of our newest employee, of course. We can have it done in a couple of days."

* * *

Meanwhile in the Seireitei, while Trunks and Rukia journeyed to the Senkaimon, Goten and Captain Hitsugaya had already arrived at their destination, the Squad 10 Barracks.

Toshiro swiftly pulled open the door to one of the rooms. "This is where you'll be staying. I'll bring bedding later. For now, just put your luggage here."

"Oh, sure," Goten replied as he walked into the empty room. "Thanks, Toshiro."

"It's Captain Hitsugaya, I've already told you that!"

"Sorry, sorry. My bad." Goten put his suitcase down in the back of the room.

 _Ah man_ , he thought. _I don't even get a bed. What the hell, I bet Trunks got a bed staying with that Ichigo guy._

"Come, we have much to discuss," said Toshiro.

"Okay," replied Goten. As he took a step towards the door, his stomach let out a fierce growl. Embarrassed, Goten put his hand behind his head and chuckled. "Um, do you mind if we get something to eat first?"


	6. Got The Life

No bowl was left untouched.

No grain of rice was left alone.

No noodle was left unslurped.

Toshiro looked on helplessly in his Captain's quarters as Goten utterly decimated his food. The half-Saiyan brought bowls upon bowls to his face, and each one was cleaned in seconds. Captain Hitsugaya had never seen such a display, it was almost as if Goten had been wronged by food in some way, and this was his way of exacting revenge. Finally, the carnage ended, and Toshiro looked in amazement at the number of dishes that towered the table.

Goten let out a big exhale. "That really hit the spot." He looked over to Toshiro, who had only gotten through half of a plate of food. "You okay? You barely touched your food."

"I'm fine. I… wasn't that hungry in the first place, and after this, I don't think you'll be hungry for a week."

"Trust me, I can put away food."

The door abruptly flew open, and a redhead woman sloppily entered in. "Captaaiiin," she said. "Why didn't you tell me that there was a meeting?"

"I tried to wake you," Hitsugaya answered. "But you were too drunk to open your eyes."

Rangiku stretched out her arms and yawned. "Huh? Who's this, Captain?"

"Rangiku, this is Goten. Goten, this is my Lieutenant, Rangiku Matsumoto."

Goten quickly got out of his seat to greet her. "Hi, it's nice to meet you, Lieutenant," he said as he put out his hand.

"It's nice to meet you, too," she replied as she shook his hand. She looked over at Toshiro. "Captain, if you told me you were bringing handsome men over, I would've been more prepared."

Goten chuckled until his eyes met something that left him in awe. From up close, he couldn't believe it. _Are those even real? They're bigger than my head!_

Toshiro cleared his throat very loudly, and Goten snapped back to reality. "I think this would be a good time to discuss the matter at hand," Toshiro said.

"Oh, yea, of course," replied Goten as he quickly went back to the table. "I'll just get these out of our way. I'll wash them after we're done."

He picked up the plates and bowls and put them near a sink. Goten and Rangiku sat at the table, as the three of them began to talk. Goten did his best to elaborate on the situation and explain who he was. After he was done, Toshiro filled in Goten on the structure of the Soul Society, and how the 13 Court Guard Squads operated. Goten did his best to keep up, but he had already taken in so much info that day, so some things didn't exactly stick upon the first time hearing them.

Finally, Toshiro inquired about Goten's powers, wondering if the Head Captain was right to trust him.

"Hmm…" he pondered. "Maybe it would be better if I just show you guys what I can do."

Toshiro nodded, and the three of them left for the training grounds. Once there, Goten sealed out in front and faced them.

"So, do you wanna see my techniques first," Goten asked. "Or my transformations?"

"You have transformations?" Toshiro asked.

"Yea. I guess I'll start with that. You uh… probably wanna stand back a little for this."

Toshiro and Rangiku took a few steps back, while Goten powered up and transformed into Super Saiyan. The Captain and his Lieutenant both awed at his golden glow.

"So, this is a Super Saiyan," Goten explained. "What do you think?"

"It's impressive, but I'm guessing you have more to show."

Goten nodded and powered up again. "This is Super Saiyan 2. Personally, I like the look of this one better than a regular Super Saiyan."

"Is this your full power, or is there a Super Saiyan 3 that you have up your sleeve?"

"Well the only person that I know that can go Super Saiyan 3 is my dad, and I'm ninety percent sure he only learned it because he was dead for 7 years. Apparently, it's really stressful on a living body. Oh yeah, and when Trunks and I fuse."

Both Toshiro and Rangiku were confused by this. "Your father… **was** dead," said Rangiku. "As in, he was dead for seven years, but now he's alive."

"Fusion?" Toshiro questioned.

"Yup," replied Goten. "I'll explain those later."

"In any case," said Toshiro. "Since you can't achieve Super Saiyan 3 on your own, I'm guessing this is your full power."

"Nope, I have something better, actually." Goten took a deep breath and then powered into his next transformation. Toshiro and Rangiku gasped at the incredible amount of energy that Goten was outputting, and the strange feeling it had to it.

"So this is what happens when I infuse God Ki into my Super Saiyan 2 form. I named it Pseudo Blue because it's not complete yet."

"That's incredible," Toshiro replied. "You truly are everything the Head Captain said you'd be. Would you mind if I test my strength against yours for a moment?"

Goten nodded, and Toshiro told Rangiku to clear the area.

Toshiro drew his Zanpakuto and chanted.

" **Ban, kai."**

Ice began to surround Hitsuguya, as an ice dragon enveloped his hands and his feet became claws of ice. His back sprouted wings of ice and three flower-like structures with four petals on them appeared behind them.

" **Daiguren Hyourinmaru.** "

Goten awed at his Bankai. "Woah, so your Zanpakuto controls ice?"

"That's partially correct. I can manipulate all water to become my weapon. In addition, my spiritual pressure increases by tenfold it's original amount."

"That's awesome. No wonder you're a Captain."

"So, are you ready to spar?"

Goten nodded and summoned his Zanpakuto. He tucked the scabbard into his sash and prepared for battle. Toshiro charged at Goten with a flurry of sword strikes, all of which Goten blocked with little effort.

Toshiro backed down and asked, "So, do you plan on attacking me at all?"

"Sure," he replied. "I guess this would be a good time to show you my signature technique." Goten thrust his Zanpakuto into the ground and put his hand out in front of him.

"KAAA," he chanted as he brought his hands behind him. "MEEEE..."

"What kind of attack is he charging?" Toshiro wondered as he prepared himself.

"HAAAA... MEEEEEE..." A blue beam of energy formed from his cupped hand as thrust them forward.

"HAAAAAAA!"

Goten shot his Kamehameha wave directly at Hitsugaya, who was paralyzed by the sheer size and magnitude of the beam. Toshiro immediately knew that his ice would not protect him from an attack like that.

"Bakudo 81, DANKU!"

He frantically summoned the Kido barrier to protect him from the blast, but it never impacted. From his periphery, he saw it pass him on his left. He turned and saw the beam hit a rock formation in the distance, erasing it from existence. Toshiro was stunned, realizing that Goten knew his Bakudo wouldn't stand a chance of guarding his attack.

"Dammit," he muttered as he lowered his head. "I'm still too weak."

Goten powered down, picked up his Zanpakuto, and tucked it back into its scabbard as he walked over to Toshiro.

"You alright?" Goten asked.

"It's so frustrating," Toshiro said as he clenched his fist. "I've spent countless hours training, and yet, I'm still not remotely close to where I need to be. I still can't protect…" Toshiro stopped himself. He still had trouble coming to terms with what happened to his friend, Momo Hinamori.

Goten absorbed the silence for a few seconds and then spoke. "Is Aizen the reason why you want to get stronger?"

"Yes. He… hurt someone that I care about, and I want to make sure that he never gets the chance to do it again."

"That's a little short-sighted, don't you think?"

Toshiro raised his head and glared at Goten. "What would you know about it, huh? You come here and look like you don't have a care in the world. What would you know about seeing people close to you get cut down!?"

Goten's expression did not change, to Toshiro's surprise. "Well," he spoke softly. "For me, they weren't cut down, but I still have my fair share of experiences. I saw my mom get turned into an egg and get stepped on, while the rest of my friends got turned into candy and were eaten, and the entire population of the Earth was decimated in my sleep, and I was too weak to stop it. I was 7 at the time but… it's something that stays with you in the back of your head, ya know?"

Toshiro's expression softened as Goten continued. "At the same time, I guess the reason I don't let mess with my life is because… I have so much to be grateful for. My mom's alive, my dad's alive, my brother's happy, my best friend is okay…" Goten paused as he extended his hand and smiled. "And I get to come here and make new friends, hopefully."

Toshiro slowly grinned and shook Goten's hand. "Yea," he said. "I guess you have a point."

"I'll teach you all my moves too… well there's only a couple but I'm sure you can use them somewhere."

"I think we should address the primary matter at hand, first. And that would be activating your Zanpakuto. After that, I can begin to inform you all about Hyourinmaru."

"Sounds like a plan."

Goten took his Zanpakuto from his sash and handed it to Toshiro. Unbeknownst to both of them, they were both emitting a hint of spiritual pressure from their hands, and a bright light emerged from the Zanpakuto. They both screamed as an intense feeling overcame them and the light grew. As it dissipated, Toshiro and Goten looked at the sword, and how it had changed.

"Amazing," Toshiro remarked. "It's an exact copy of Hyourinmaru."

"Wow," Goten said as he inspected the Zanpakuto. "Thanks, Toshiro. This is awesome."

"So, this is where you went off too," a deep voice said from behind.

Goten turned around to the voice that spoke to him. Toshiro looked past Goten and scowled when he saw who it was.

"May I help you, Captain Zaraki?" Toshiro asked.

"Sorry for intruding," Kenpachi replied as he approached them. "I just happened to be in the neighborhood when I felt a certain spiritual pressure that tickled my fancy." He stopped in front of Goten and smiled. "I'm Kenpachi Zaraki, Captain of Squad 11."

"I'm Goten," he replied. "Nice to meet you."

"So kid, how about it? You and me."

Goten gave Kenpachi a blank look and replied, "Sorry, I don't think I can do that, at least not today."

"Hmm?" replied Zaraki. "And why is that?"

With the same blank look, Goten said, "Because, if we fight, I would probably have to kill you."

Kenpachi laughed and then grinned from ear to ear. "You really think you can kill me?"

Goten nodded. "Mhm, but how about we hold off until we beat Aizen, and then we can-"

"KEEEENNNYYYYY!" A voice yelled from the distance.

Kenpachi shouted back at the voice. "Yachiru! Where did you go?"

Yachiru Kusajishi waved her arms in the air. "Kenny, you said we were gonna get food, and then you disappeared!"

Toshiro smiled. "You better go take care of your Lieutenant, Captain."

Kenpachi grunted then turned back around. "I guess we'll have to settle this another day."

Goten smiled. "Sure, I'll look forward to it."

With that, Kenpachi Zaraki left to go tend to his Lieutenant.

"I don't think I've ever seen anyone speak to him like that," remarked Hitsugaya.

"I've noticed him since the meeting. He's pretty intense, but he's not that scary."

"Anyway, I think it's time to get back to the barracks. If you're going to be staying, then you might as well meet the rest of the squad." He looked up to a nearby cliff and shouted for his Lieutenant to come down. "Rangiku! Let's go!"

He heard no reply. "Hmph, probably nodded off again."

"Do you wanna prank her?" asked Goten.

"What kind of prank?"

"Hmm… how about I hide, and you roll her off the cliff, and then I'll fly in and catch her like halfway down."

"Wait… you can fly?"

"You can't?"

* * *

"Pass me the socket wrench, please?" asked Urahara.

Trunks quickly picked it up and handed it to Kisuke, who then tightened a bolt in the wall. For the last two days, Kisuke, Tessai, Jinta, and Trunks have been hustling to complete the construction of the gravity chamber, located in the basement of the shop. After leaving his job, Ichigo would meet Rukia to go to Urahara's to offer their assistance, and to train with Trunks. However, when Ichigo and Rukia arrived that day, Trunks was sitting outside on the shop's porch drinking water.

"Hey," Ichigo said as they approached. "You're looking a little worn out there, buddy."

"You think so?" Trunks asked. "I guess it's cause I haven't slept much in the last three days." Trunks covered his mouth and yawned.

"Well how about we swap in and take care of the rest of the work," Ichigo offered. "We can skip training today and we can go grab something to eat."

"I'm down for the last part, but you guys don't have to do anything. The chamber's done."

"Really? You guys finished that much since yesterday?"

Trunks nodded. "Kisuke's checking over everything now, and then he's gonna run some tests to make sure it doesn't cave in on itself."

"I could be the guinea pig if you're not up for it right now."

"Nah, I'm pretty sure he'll have both of us go in anyway." Trunks stood up and looked up towards the rooftops in the background. "I should probably go let her know we're done."

"You want me to come with you… you know, as a wingman?"

Rukia nudged Ichigo in the arm with her elbow as he chuckled.

"Haha, hilarious," Trunks said as he rolled his eyes and floated into the air. "I'm just extending an olive branch. This shouldn't be long."

Trunks took to the sky and flew towards the buildings. He landed in the middle of a rooftop and walked towards the front.

"New building today, huh?" Trunks asked.

Soifon turned around and faced Trunks. "What do you want now?"

"The gravity chamber's done. We're gonna be running some tests today to make sure it's stable, but if everything works out, it should be usable by tomorrow."

"Why are you telling me this?"

"Well, I thought that you might want to spend your time here getting stronger while you keep tabs on me. Training at hundreds of times normal gravity can work wonders."

Soifon turned around and didn't respond. Trunks approached the edge of the building and stood next to her.

"Anyways," he continued. "I just wanted to let you know that. Sorry for bothering you." Trunks jumped onto the railing on the edge of the building and turned towards her. "By the way, Yoruichi says hi."

Soifon gasped and quickly looked away, as Trunks smiled and waved his hand goodbye. Jumping off of the railing, he flew back to Urahara's. On his way down, he saw a familiar face conversing with Ichigo and Rukia.

"Goten!" he called out as he landed.

"Hey Trunks," Goten replied. "I didn't know you had a love interest, and on a Captain, too. That's pretty bold, but I respect it."

Trunks turned his head to Ichigo. "That's what you told him?"

Ichigo shrugged his shoulders and replied. "Hey, 'extending an olive branch' can mean a bunch of things, and sometimes a couple of minutes is all you need when you're olive branch is extended."

Goten and Ichigo started laughing, even Rukia gave a bit of a giggle.

Trunks gave a fake laugh and then stopped. "You've known each other for all of thirty seconds and you're already cracking jokes about me. And you, Rukia. I am ashamed that you're even entertaining this… tomfoolery."

Before they could go on, the door to the shop flew open, and Yoruichi stood in front of it.

"Kisuke's asking that you all come down to the basement, " she said.

Goten's pupils enlarged, but he tried not to ogle at her. He elected to communicate telepathically instead.

 _Trunks,_ he said. _Is there something in the water in this universe or…_

 _We are not gonna have this discussion,_ Trunks replied.

_I'm just making observations, that's all._

They all walked in and went to the basement. Near the entrance at the bottom of a rock formation, Urahara stood next to a door. The group went down and gathered around Urahara. Kisuke introduced himself to Goten, and vice versa. With the introductions out of the way, Kisuke began to speak.

"With blood, sweat, and tears from Jinta, we have completed the construction of our first gravity chamber. We will now begin the testing phase, and since we now have two people who I assume are experienced in intense gravity training, I would ask that you both be the test subjects. You two can spar in there as you increase the gravity."

"Are energy blasts okay in there?" Goten asked.

"Yes," Urahara replied. "But please don't blow up the room."

Trunks and Goten nodded, as Urahara opened the door for them to enter. As he shut the door, Ichigo and Rukia also gathered to watch through the window in the door.

Goten looked around and marveled at the chamber. "Wow, it looks just like the one back home."

"Yea, but we didn't implement voice commands into it, at least not yet." Trunks walked over to the center console and started the machine at 10 G's.

Barely affecting them, Trunks faced Goten and widened his stance. "You ready?"

Goten stepped back and put his hands up. "Let's go."

They charged at each other and began to battle under augmented gravity.

* * *

On Beerus' Planet, Goku and Vegeta were sparring in the air, under the guidance of Whis. Suddenly, they were interrupted by a telepathic message from the Supreme Kai.

_GOKU, VEGETA, he frantically shouted. You need to head to Planet Namek RIGHT NOW!_

"Huh," Goku pondered. "What's going on with Namek?"

_The inhabitants… they're all disappearing._

Goku and Vegeta gasped, as Goku quickly turned to Whis on the ground. "Whis! Which way is Namek?"

"It's to your right," he replied.

Goku quickly put his fingers to his head and searched. "Come on, come on," he muttered to himself as he continued to look. "There!" Goku found an energy signal on the planet and Vegeta quickly grabbed on as Goku teleported away.

They touched down onto an island on Namek, but what they saw shocked them. Namekian clothes laid on the ground, with no people in sight.

"How is this possible?" Vegeta asked. "They've all been sucked out of their clothes? The only person we know that did something like this was Cell."

"Well, I guess you could compare this to Cell if it would help you to understand."

Goku and Vegeta quickly turned around to see who had been speaking to them. Two men approached them, both carrying swords and wearing the same outfits as Grimmjow and his partner. The Saiyans were on their guard, as the men walked towards them.

"You want me to handle these two, boss?" one of them said.

"No Yammy," he calmly replied. "That won't be necessary. I'd like to speak with them first before we take any hasty actions."

"So," Goku said. "I take it you're the one who's behind all of this."

The man smiled. "Yes, you would be correct, but first, I would like to say that it is truly an honor to meet both of you. Son Goku and Prince Vegeta the Fourth, allow me to introduce myself. My name is Sosuke Aizen."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Doing my best to get these out as fast as possible. I started a new job so it's a bit harder now, but I'll do my best. If you're reading, thanks so much!


	7. Post Hypnotic Suggestions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aizen reveals himself to Goku and Vegeta. What is he doing on Namek, and what exactly is he after in Universe 7?

Under the green sky and three suns of Namek, Goku and Vegeta faced their enemy, who had just revealed himself as Sosuke Aizen.

"Tell me, Sosuke Aizen," Vegeta said. "Are you the reason Grimmjow is still alive?"

Aizen, still smiling, replied, "Yes, when Grimmjow went alone to conquer Kadassil, the inhabitants chose to destroy the planet than have it ruled by Frieza. They destroyed his pod, and he was left to die, so I thought it would be a nice gesture to save him. I guess it was something in me that still held on to my fellow race."

Goku and Vegeta were stunned by his last sentence.

"Allow me to clarify," Aizen continued. "I'm only half Saiyan, my mother was a Tuffle."

Vegeta gasped. "That's preposterous! The Tuffles were destroyed hundreds of years ago."

"That is correct, Prince. While my mother was eradicated in the genocide, I was spared because I passed as a Saiyan. Eventually, I became chief advisor to your great grandfather, King Vegeta Senior."

"Impossible… there's no way that you could stay alive for this long."

"You would be right in your assumption. By all accounts, I am dead."

Goku and Vegeta were shocked. With no halo, how could he be roaming the living world? Before they could ask him anything, Aizen continued to speak.

"As I said before," he continued. "I was your great grandfather's chief advisor. King Vegeta believed that the power of the Saiyans could trump any force that crossed their path, but I strongly disagreed, saying that we needed technological advancements and training to be dominant in this universe. To prove my point, I left Planet Vegeta to do reconnaissance, looking for stronger and more advanced foes. However, I came across an asteroid belt, and my ship flung into a portal, known as the Garganta. The Garganta transported me to Universe 6, where my ship crashed on a planet and I died."

"And what the hell is a Garganta," asked Vegeta.

"The Garganta is a void that connects Universe 6 and Universe 7. You might remember from when your fight with Grimmjow ended. When I died in Universe 6, I was taken to their afterlife, the Soul Society."

"So that's why you guys are carrying swords," Goku said. "You guys are Soul Reapers, right?"

"Yes," Aizen replied. "For simplicity's sake."

"So why come back to this universe," asked Vegeta.

"At first I came out of curiosity and found that Planet Vegeta had been conquered, first by King Cold, and then by Frieza. When Planet Vegeta was destroyed, I thought it would be interesting to see how the lives of the remaining Saiyans played out, so I made sure to keep a close watch of you."

"What," Goku exclaimed. "You mean you've been tracking us our entire lives?"

"Think of it as what Doctor Gero did, but vastly more extensive. I've been using a tiny camera that's watched most of your movements. The only thing that I could not track is when you used Instant Transmission to go to distant planets."

"Hmph," Vegeta grunted. "You didn't come back to tell us that you've been spying on us. What are you really after?"

"That's a very loaded question," Aizen replied. "At first I considered destroying Frieza for nothing more than to come back and rule the galaxies of Universe 7, but then I found something more interesting in Universe 6, so I decided to stay. At the time, I found Saiyan potential to be limited, so I stopped keeping tabs on this universe altogether. It wasn't until a couple of years ago that I viewed the recordings of your lives, and found that I had been missing the potency of Saiyan power. You two opened my eyes to the many secrets of our world, and with that knowledge, I can now put an end to the foolish leadership that rules these universes. We allow ourselves to be ruled by the Supreme Kais, and time after time, they fail us. The Supreme Kai of Universe 7 allowed for Frieza and Majin Buu to bring about destruction unparalleled, and the Supreme Kai of Universe 6 allows a dead god to keep it in balance. I will be the one to rule, to stand atop the throne, and lead us to a better tomorrow."

Vegeta smirked. "Anyone that's this full of themselves isn't fit to lead anything. You give us this sales pitch on how you'd be a better god, but you've slaughtered an entire planet's population."

Vegeta looked behind Aizen and saw his henchmen, Yammy, holding an object that looked similar to what Babidi used to absorb energy. "I'm guessing your buffoon back there is holding all of the energy you've stolen."

Yammy scowled at Vegeta then lifted the device. "Grrrr! We didn't take their energy, fool! We took their souls."

Goku and Vegeta's eyes widened. They both knew that if the souls of those people had been destroyed, they would cease to exist.

"You're even more twisted inside than Frieza," Goku yelled as he clenched his fists and teeth. "How could you do this to these people!?"

Aizen continued to calmly smile. "It was a necessary sacrifice for the greater good."

"Kakarot," Vegeta said as he stepped back into his stance. "We've done enough talking. Let's get this over with quickly."

Goku nodded as he got into his stance, and they both powered up into Super Saiyan Blue.

"I was hoping that you would see it my way," Aizen said. "But I expected this resistance."

Aizen drew his sword, as Vegeta and Goku looked on to see what his next move was. He pointed it downwards and chanted, " **Shatter, Kyoka Suigetsu.** "

As Aizen said this, Goku and Vegeta were surprised to find that nothing happened. Suddenly, Yammy charged forward and threw a punch at Vegeta, who ducked under and landed a straight fist to his abdomen. As Yammy bent over in agony, Vegeta front kicked him in his jaw and chased him into the air.

Simultaneously, Goku teleported behind Aizen and threw a sidekick. Aizen turned and blocked, as Goku withdrew his leg and twisted his body midair to land a sidekick with his other leg. This sent Aizen back a few yards, as his heels dug into the ground, and Goku pursued him. As they continued to fight, Goku was curious about two things. If Aizen was really a half Saiyan, how was he keeping up without transforming? The other thing that bothered him was what Aizen did with his Zanpakuto. What was its power, and was it affecting him already? It didn't matter too much, as Goku had the upper hand by a wide margin. Sosuke Aizen failed to land any hit on Goku, and it was even worse for his ally.

Vegeta bounced Yammy around the battlefield, until he finally got close to him, and used an energy sword to chop off his arm that held the device that contained the Namekian souls.

"AAAAHHHH!" Yammy screamed had he clutched what was left of his arm. "YOU DAMN ANT! LOOK AT WHAT YOU DID TO MY ARM! I'LL SQUASH YOU!"

Yammy winded up and threw a punch at Vegeta, who sidestepped the attack and extended his arm.

"BIG BANG ATTACK!" Vegeta launched an energy ball directly into Yammy, who screamed as he faded with the explosion. As the smoke cleared, it revealed that there was nothing left of him, save for the arm and the soul absorption device.

As Aizen looked on in the air, Goku teleported behind him and side kicked him to the ground. Goku dropped to the earth, and now Goku and Vegeta faced Aizen, who slowly got up from the earth.

"It's over now," said Goku. "Just give up and you can walk away from all of this."

Aizen patted the dust off of his shoulder. "I can't do that, Goku. I can't walk away from my destiny.

Aizen smiled, and suddenly a huge wave of water appeared behind Goku and Vegeta. Before they could dodge it, they were consumed, and unable to escape it. As he was being tossed in the water, Goku saw Aizen in the air, holding the soul absorption device, as he put his two fingers on his head and disappeared. Vegeta grabbed Goku, and flew out of the water, and took to the sky. Both of them started coughing out the water that filled their lungs, as they tried to make sense of what had happened.

As he turned to Goku, Vegeta asked, "How the hell did he do that? That thing was right next to me, there's no way he could have taken it without me seeing."

"I don't know," Goku replied. "But he knows Instant Transmission, too, and I can't sense him anymore."

"Dammit, this guy is more dangerous than I expected."

"We should probably head to the Supreme Kai and tell him what's going on."

Vegeta put his hand on Goku's back and teleported to the Sacred Planet of the Kais. Once there, they found the Supreme Kai sitting and looking over his crystal call. He stood up to address the Saiyans.

"I've seen the entire thing, and I talked with the Supreme Kai of Universe 6. We've confirmed that we are both facing the same threat."

"What was the ability he used on us," asked Vegeta. "He can control water with his thoughts?"

"No, it is far more dangerous than that. His Zanpakuto's ability is perfect hypnosis. It is not only subtle, but it also controls your five senses."

"What," Goku exclaimed. "So he didn't hit us with that tidal wave?"

"It was only a part of his ability. It was activated once you saw his sword and his activation command. You say you were hit by a tidal wave, but your clothes aren't even wet."

Goku and Vegeta looked down and inspected their clothing. Just as the Supreme Kai said, they were dry.

The Supreme Kai continued. "Now you are both victims of it, and unfortunately, so are Gohan and Piccolo."

The Saiyans jaws dropped in shock. "He went there right after he was finished with us," asked Vegeta. "Didn't he?"

The Supreme Kai nodded. "They were training, and he got to them before I could intervene. I'm sorry."

"Damn trickster, how dare he make a mockery of us." Vegeta clenched his fist as he stared into the ground.

"Supreme Kai," Goku said. "Why is he taking souls?"

"Two years ago, he sought to create a device called the Oken, which would grant him access to the Soul Society's Soul Palace, so he could kill their king and take his place. To do that, he needed 100 thousand souls and a spirit enriched area. It seems that he's opted to take a different route this time."

"What's that," asked Goku.

"Without a spirit enriched area, it takes 100 billion souls and a six month waiting period to create a copy of the Oken."

The two Saiyans shouted in unison, "100 BILLION?!"

"Yes, and the Oken is the only thing that can bypass the barrier to our realm. With the Oken and Instant Transmission, he would most likely succeed in his plan to rule over the universes."

"Not if we stop him first," said Goku.

"Kakarot," Vegeta said as he looked up to Goku. "How do we stop someone with forces that can spread across the universe? You're the only one that knows Instant Transmission. He's most likely going to use hit and run tactics, and we'll be stuck chasing him."

"Damn," Goku said as he lowered his head. "There's gotta be some way we can fight this guy. Maybe we can use the Namek Dragon Balls to track him or something."

The Supreme Kai interrupted before Vegeta could reply. "That's another matter that I need to address. Because the soul of the grand elder, Moori, has left the planet, the Namekian Dragon Balls are now ineffective. The Supreme Kai of Universe 6 also brought to my attention that one of the Super Dragon Balls has been destroyed in his universe."

"This is ridiculous," Vegeta said. "It goes from bad to worse every second." Vegeta then turned to Goku. "Kakarot, we need to head to Earth before we go back to Whis. The boys need to know what's going on here. This is war now."

* * *

Trunks, Ichigo, and Goten all exited the gravity chamber and stepped out into the training grounds, where Urahara stood waiting for them

"Whew," Ichigo said as he stretched his arms out. "That shit really works you out, but damn, I feel as light as a feather now."

"I'm still surprised you made it up to 50 G's on your first day," remarked Trunks.

"Well, I was kind of cheating. I had to use my spiritual pressure just to keep up with you guys."

"Well," Urahara said to the group. "I hope it worked to your liking. Is there anything that needs to be adjusted at all?"

The trio shook their heads, as they were interrupted by a hoard of stomach grumbling.

"Well at least it's not just me this time," Goten said.

"So where do you wanna go eat," Ichigo asked.

"You're asking me like I know the area."

"Right, well **what** do you wanna eat?"

"I'm really not that picky. Trunks, you choose."

Trunks shrugged his shoulders.

"Well," Ichigo said. "How about you choose, Rukia."

Rukia thought for a few seconds, then said, "How about ramen?"

Ichigo nodded. "Sounds good to me."

Trunks turned to Urahara. "Hey Kisuke, would you mind if I get an advance?"

"Don't worry about it," Ichigo said. "I got you guys covered."

Before they continued any further. A voice rang out from the entrance of the training grounds.

"THE MOOCHER'S GETTING A CALL!"

They all looked up and saw Jinta wind up his arm as he threw something directly at Trunks. Trunks lifted his right arm and caught it.

"THANKS," Trunks yelled to him.

"YEA, WHATEVER," Jinta replied.

"Kids got a killer arm," Trunks said to Kisuke.

"Yep," Urahara replied with a smile. "He's gonna be our little money maker in a few years."

Trunks brought the walkie talkie to his mouth and pushed a button on the side to talk.

"Hello," he asked.

After a few seconds, a voice replied. "Trunks, can you hear me?"

"Dad?... yea, I can hear you, what's up?"

"Is Goten with you?"

"Yea, he's right next to me."

"Good, then you won't have to relay this information to him later. We've made contact with Sosuke Aizen."

The entire group gasped, but Ichigo started trembling as his heart skipped a beat.

"Wait, but how," asked Trunks. "I thought you needed an angel to travel through universes."

"I'll explain everything. I hope you didn't have plans today."

The group listened as Vegeta explained the fight with Sosuke Aizen, as well as his origin and his motives. When they had first come to Universe 6, Trunks and Goten thought that they could easily handle this threat, even if they were forced to resort to fusion. Now, knowing that Aizen was able to fight with Goku in his Super Saiyan Blue form, they knew that they needed to take their training seriously.

As Trunks bid his father farewell, he could see the stress begin to mount on Ichigo's face in his peripheral vision.

"Dammit," Ichigo said with his head lowered. "This is exactly what I was talking about. Now he's back and stronger than ever. What the hell do we do now?"

Goten put his hand on Ichigo's shoulder and smiled. "We get stronger, that's what. That's the only thing we can do, and if it's still not enough, there's always fusion."

Ichigo picked his head up as Goten continued. "You're in capable hands. Trunks is gonna make you a better fighter, just like he's made me a better fighter. Even in our worst case, we still have at least 6 months to prepare."

"We'll all make it out of this," Trunks said. "I'll promise you that. We're not going anywhere till we stop him."

Ichigo smiled, as the two Saiyans returned one as well. Rukia's heart was warmed as she saw her friend's spirits restored.

"I should probably leave you guys to your training," she said. "I need to go back to the Soul Society anyway and inform them."

"I'll go with you," said Goten. "As much as I wanna kill some food right now, Toshiro's gonna wanna know about this."

Goten dapped up Ichigo and Trunks and then departed with Rukia to the Soul Society.

"Hey Kisuke," Trunks asked. "Was any of this inside of your realm of possibilities?"

"Some of it, yes," Kisuke replied. "I did think it possible that he escaped into the other universe, but I wasn't prepared for him to be of another species, nor did I expect him to try to collect 100 billion souls for the Oken. I thought it would be too lofty of a goal."

"Maybe we should try to catch him here, in our universe," Ichigo said.

"Even if we knew a technique like Instant Transmission," Trunks said. "We'd be leaving Karakura wide open. It's better if we stay here and focus on training, while Goku and my dad track him down."

"Alright, we better get to it-"

Ichigo was interrupted by his own grumbling stomach, which caused him and Trunks to burst out in laughter.

"Well, maybe we should eat first before we get started," Ichigo said. "We can go to my house, I'm sure Yuzu's probably made something already."

* * *

"We need to resume our training immediately," Toshiro told Goten as they sat in his quarters.

"Of course," Goten replied. "But do you mind if we eat first?"

Toshiro slammed his palms into the table and stood up. "This is serious! We can't waste any more time."

"Hey, calm down and let me finish, okay?"

Hitsugaya took a few seconds to calm himself, then sat back down.

"I'm sorry," he said.

"Look, I get that you're anxious right now, but we've still got plenty of time to prepare. Rushing every second will only stress you out more. Plus, I didn't even tell you that Trunks and Kisuke Urahara built a gravity chamber."

"A gravity chamber?"

"Yea, it can simulate up to 500 times Earth's normal gravity. It'll do wonders for us."

Suddenly, they both heard a loud voice coming from outside.

"ATTENTION ALL CAPTAINS AND LIEUTENANTS, PLEASE REPORT TO THE CAPTAIN'S HALL FOR AN EMERGENCY CAPTAIN'S MEETING. I REPEAT, ALL CAPTAINS AND LIEUTENANTS, REPORT TO THE CAPTAIN'S HALL FOR AN EMERGENCY MEETING."

"For such a big place," Goten said. "Word sure gets around here fast."

Hitsugaya stood up from his chair. "We'd better get going."

"Huh? But I'm not a Captain or Lieutenant."

"While that is true, the Head Captain might call you in to assess the situation. Until then, you'll be with Rangiku and the other Lieutenants."

"So I'll finally get to meet your friend, Momo?"

Hitsugaya crossed his arms and averted his gaze. "Why are you so concerned about her anyway? Shouldn't you be happy that you're spending alone time with Rangiku?"

Goten chuckled. "Hey, just because she's gifted, it doesn't mean I'm into her."

"Oh, and what made you realize that?"

"Well, she's an… older woman, slightly ditzy, and an alcoholic."

Toshiro uncrossed his arms and walked to the door. "I guess we can both agree on that. Let's get going, or the Head Captain will chew us out."

Toshiro and Goten met up with Rangiku and walked over to the Captain's Hall. Once there, Toshiro split with them to go to the meeting, while Rangiku and Goten went to the waiting room for the lieutenants. When they arrived, Goten looked around the room to see that they were the last ones to arrive.

"So these are the lieutenants," he said as he continued to scan the room. "Where's Rukia at?"

After a few seconds of looking, he found her in the back of the room, speaking with another lieutenant with red hair and a red bandana. Goten waved to her and approached the two. Rukia smiled and waved back, as the other lieutenant looked the other way.

"Goten," Rukia said. "I didn't know you would be coming here."

"Me neither," he replied. "But Toshi- I mean Captain Hitsugaya said I should in case I get called in there for questioning."

"I see." Rukia turned to the lieutenant standing next to her. "Renji, this is Goten. And Goten, this is Renji. He's the lieutenant of my brother's squad."

Goten smiled and extended his hand. Renji shook his hand firmly but did not return the smile.

 _Wow, this guy's got a widow's peak that puts Vegeta's to shame,_ Goten thought.

"So," Renji started. "I'm guessing you're the one that put out that massive amount of spiritual pressure a couple of days ago."

"Yea," Goten answered. "I was sparring with the Captain, so I had to showcase my power."

"Compared to your friend, the one that Rukia said beat Ichigo in a fight, how do you stack up against him?"

"How do I stack up to Trunks? Hmm… I guess we're practically the same strength."

Renji took a step closer and lowered his voice. "If it's true that Aizen's really back, do you guys think you can stand a chance against him?"

Goten, still smiling, replied, "I think we can when we finish our training. In any case, I think we can all beat this guy, for sure. I wouldn't worry about it too much."

"You're not worried? Do you even know what he's capable of!?"

"I've been told a lot, and he seems pretty dangerous, but stressing about it won't do any good. All we can do is prepare, right?" Goten, then turned his head as he continued to speak. "By the way, do you guys know which lieutenant is Momo?"

"Hmm?" they both said as they shared a confused look. Renji pointed to the corner of the room behind Goten. "She's over there talking to Rangiku."

"Thanks," he said. "I'm gonna go meet her, it was nice talking to you guys."

"Wait," exclaimed Rukia as she grabbed Goten's arm. Confused, he turned around to listen to her.

"Please don't mention anything about Aizen around her," she whispered. "She used to be his lieutenant."

"Really?" Goten replied as Rukia nodded. "Thanks for the heads up. That could've been awkward if I said something."

Goten waved goodbye, then walked over to Rangiku and Momo.

"Hi," he said. "Would you happen to be Lieutenant Hinamori?"

Momo and Rangiku turned to face Goten, as Momo spoke. "Oh, yes, and you're Goten, right? Rangiku was just telling me that you're training with Toshiro."

"That's right. He's told me so much about you, too."

"What, really?"

"Yea, he's told me how much he misses hanging out with you."

Rangiku raised her eyebrow at Goten, who subtly winked at her.

"In fact, we're all about to go out to eat after the meeting. It'd be great if you came and you guys could catch up."

Momo hesitated at first. "Are you sure? I wouldn't want to intrude…"

"Of course you're not intruding. He would love it if you joined us."

Momo smiled. "I'm sure my Captain would be okay if I left for a little while."

Goten's smile widened, as he continued to chat with the women until the meeting ended. As the Captains walked in, Toshiro was caught off guard when he saw the trio conversing.

"Hey," he said to Toshiro. "That was pretty quick."

"There were only a few matters to discuss," Toshiro replied as he looked to the Squad 5 Lieutenant. "Hello, Momo."

"Hi, Toshiro," Momo replied. "It was so nice of you to invite me out to eat with you guys."

"It's Captain Hitsuga- what did you just say?"

"We're all going out to eat," Goten said. "It would be nice if you guys caught up, wouldn't it?"

"What are you-" Before Hitsugaya could finish, he saw Goten overtly winking at him multiple times. He grunted but finally relented.

"Fine," he said. "Momo, is your Captain going to be okay with you leaving after the meeting?"

"Of course it'll be okay. She's been cooped up in the barracks for way too long."

Toshiro turned and saw Captain Hirako approaching him.

"As long as you give her the rundown on the meeting," Shinji continued."It's not a problem."

Toshiro nodded as Shinji waved goodbye and walked out of the room. Goten smiled as he patted Toshiro on the back. "Lead the way, sir. I'm starving!"

Toshiro led the group to a small shop, where they sat down and ordered their food.

"Only one bowl from you today?" asked Toshiro. "Didn't you say you were starving before?"

"I thought it wouldn't be nice of me to run up your bill," Goten replied. "But if you have deep pockets, I can call that waiter back."

"No amount of money can satisfy that hunger of yours. I've never had to do so much grocery shopping in my life."

"You really eat that much?" Momo asked.

Rangiku nodded."He could build a stairway to Sokyoku Hill with his empty bowls. The Soul Society would go bankrupt in a week feeding him."

The group shared a laugh. "Multiply it by three and you know what my mom goes through," said Goten.

"Um, Toshiro," interrupted Momo.

Toshiro turned his attention to her. "Is something wrong?"

"No, no, I was just wondering what the Captain's meeting was about."

Instantly, the smiles were erased off of Rangiku, Goten, and Toshiro's faces. Toshiro and Rangiku looked down at the table.

"Momo…" Toshiro struggled to get his words out. "This is… this is difficult for me to tell you... "

"Hmm? What's the matter?"

Goten wrestled with himself about speaking up and telling her, but he thought it best not to say anything yet.

Toshiro shut his eyes tight and whispered, "He's back… Aizen's back, Momo."

Goten watched as Momo's face lost all of its color, and her eyes lost all of their life. Her smile dissipated and she began to tremble, as Rangiku quickly hugged and tried to calm her down.

"It's going to be okay," Rangiku softly spoke to her.

"He's back… Aizen… no, please, no…"

Goten still did not know what had actually transpired between Aizen and Momo, but he had learned enough through Momo, Rangiku, and Toshiro's dejected faces. He didn't even have a clue what Aizen looked like, but the thought of the man that caused these two this much pain angered him. Still, he calmed himself and figured that now was his time to speak.

"Hey, Momo," he said as she slowly looked up at him. "I came here to make sure that we stop Aizen, and we'll train every single day to make sure we can beat him. I'd rather die than see him lay a finger on any of you."

Goten saw the life return in Momo's eyes, and he smiled at her, and then looked at Toshiro.

"And I know Toshiro feels the same way," Goten said. "Right?"

"Right," Toshiro responded.

"We'll give you our word." Goten then extended his arm to Momo across from him and put his pinky finger out. "How about we pinky swear on it. You too, Toshiro, get that pinky out."

Toshiro went along with it, and the two of them locked pinky fingers with Momo.

"We're gonna get stronger and take him out," Goten said. "We'll put our lives on it."

"I'll never let him hurt you again, Momo," Toshiro said. "I'm so sorry I couldn't protect you before."

"You don't have to be sorry, Toshiro," Momo responded as she smiled at him. "You did your best, and that's all I could ever ask for."

Toshiro finally smiled, as Goten quickly realized he forgot something.

"Oh, Rangiku," he said as he turned to her. "Did you wanna get in on this?"

Rangiku, who had a heartfelt smile on her face before, quickly crossed her arms and frowned. "How about you both promise me not to throw me off a cliff again."

Goten started and Toshiro started laughing, as Momo looked confused.

"Wait, let me tell you the whole story Momo," Goten said. "So me and Toshiro are training…"

Goten continued the story as the four of them ate, and traded tales that almost made them fall out of their chairs. It was the best night that the Soul Reapers enjoyed in a long time, and Goten was just glad to be a part of it.

Long after they were done eating, they continued to converse as they walked Momo back to her barracks. They said their goodbyes, and Goten, Rangiku, and Toshiro walked back to their own barracks.

"So," Toshiro said. "Your hand at playing matchmaker didn't work this time."

"Huh?" Goten replied. "You thought I was trying to set you guys up?"

"Isn't that why you wanted to meet her so badly?"

"I wanted to meet her because you needed to get out of that funk you were in, but if I happened to set you guys up in the process, then just make sure I get an invite to the wedding."

"You better quit it before I fit you into a shihakusho."

"What!? No way, you can't do that!"

"What's wrong with a shihakusho?" questioned Rangiku.

"Uhhh… nothing!" replied Goten. "Orange is just my favorite color!"

They all laughed as they walked back to the barracks.


	8. Hang My Head, Drown My Fear

_Hang my head,_

_Drown my fear,_

_Till you all just disappear..._

_Black Hole Sun, won't you come,_

_And wash away the rain?_

* * *

As Jinta played with his friends outside and Ururu spectated, Trunks was inside of the shop with his apron on, sweeping the floors. It had now been a week and a half since he had arrived in Karakura Town. He was starting to settle in and get used to being there. He would wake up, perform tasks around the shop, and sometimes help Urahara with things that he would be working on. Ichigo worked until 2, so at around 2:30, Ichigo came to the shop and trained with Trunks for a few hours, in and outside of the gravity chamber. Sometimes, Ichigo came with Orihime, and she would watch them train. After they finished, they would all go hang out, most of the time without Chad and Uryu. However, Ichigo had just started school, so Trunks knew that he wouldn't be able to hang out as often, which was fine with Trunks, but outside of training and working, he had nothing to do.

The only thing that he could do to eat up sometime after training was call home. Every other night, he'd talk to his mom and sister on the walkie talkie. His mom was happy for him, and how he was adapting to his new surroundings. She didn't even mind when he told her that he would need to stay longer than two weeks, even though she noted that Chi-Chi wouldn't feel the same way. Talking with them gave him the little piece of home he missed.

"Hey, Trunks," Kisuke yelled from another room. "When you're finished sweeping, could you restock the shelves, please? After that, you can take a break."

"Got it," Trunks yelled back. "I'm just gonna go to the basement real quick."

"No problem."

Trunks made his way down to the basement, specifically the gravity chamber. There were only 5 people who had made use of the chamber, and those five people could be split into three groups. The first was Ichigo and Trunks, who used the chamber four days a week. Then there was Goten and Captain Hitsugaya, who used it at the same rate but alternated day with Trunks and Ichigo. The last was none other than Captain Soifon, who to nobody's surprise, trained alone. She would come every day to use it in the mornings. Trunks would greet her every day, and she would either not respond or tell him to not speak to her.

Trunks felt uneasy about her using the chamber every day. He knew that the body could break down from overexposure to gravity training without rest. He thought he would go tell her that she should take a break today. He approached the chamber and put his face into the window. His eyes widened as he saw Soifon on the ground, desperately trying to crawl to the center console. Without a second thought, Trunks flung the door open and ran as fast as he could under the intense gravity. He made it to the center console and pushed the emergency shut down button. He looked to see how much gravity she had put on, and it was just as he suspected: the screen read 300 G's. He quickly turned around and saw Soifon catching her breath on her hands and knees. He ran over to her and bent down.

"Are you alright?" he asked as he put out his hands to help her.

Soifon caught her breath. She looked at his hand but quickly got up on her own, wobbling a little.

"Woah, take it easy," Trunks said.

"I'm fine," she quickly retorted. "I didn't need your help."

Trunks started to feel his blood boil. "Are you serious?"

"Why would I need your help? I was okay on my own."

"You would've passed out and died before you made it halfway to turning it off!"

Soifon gritted her teeth as she turned her eyes away from Trunks. Trunks took a deep breath and settled himself.

"Look, you can't rush into intense gravity like that. You have to take it slow. You'll get there in no time anyway, but training like this every day won't work like you want it to. Maybe do 5 days a week, your body will thank you for it."

Although she did not respond, her face slightly softened, and Trunks knew he had gotten through to her.

"Alright," Trunks said as he walked towards the door. "I'll get out of your way. Just… take it easy." Trunks shut the door behind him and left Soi Fon by herself.

 _Dammit,_ she thought. _He ran in here so effortlessly to stop the gravity… to help me. I'm so weak. I need to keep at this, but my body is…_

"Dammit," she muttered to herself.

Trunks went back upstairs to finish his duties but he heard something coming from the walkie talkie clipped to his belt buckle.

"Hello, Trunks? Can you hear me?"

Trunks' heart skipped a beat as he quickly brought the walkie talkie to his face.

"Yea, Dad, I'm here, what's wrong?"

What Vegeta told Trunks next made his knees buckle, as his heart sank in disbelief.

* * *

While Trunks and Goten were getting used to their new surroundings, their fathers had spent every day trying to track down Aizen's location. He and Espada had spread themselves through the two universes, absorbing billions of souls and erasing populations by the day. Already, the warriors that made up the Universe 6 Tournament of Power team had been absorbed. Even Frieza and his forces had fallen.

Goku and Vegeta were driving themselves crazy chasing down anyone. Whenever they would detect an energy signal, they would arrive on an empty planet with no enemy. With 80 billion souls lost, they knew that they were running out of time.

Currently, they were on the Supreme Kai's Planet, as the Saiyans and the Kai put all of their efforts into trying to sense any sign of the enemy across the universe. They sat in a circle, with Goku and Vegeta shutting their eyes to concentrate, as the Supreme Kai peered into his crystal ball.

Goku hopped to his feet and put his fingers on his head. "There!"

"Finally," Vegeta said as he jumped up and put his hand on Goku's back.

Before the Supreme Kai could wish them well, the two vanished before his eyes.

The Saiyan duo teleported to a planet with a yellow sky and a barren wasteland below them as they floated in the air. Vegeta didn't recognize this place, but Goku knew exactly where they were.

"Wait," Goku said as he looked around. "This is where Broly lives."

Vegeta looked to his right and sensed multiple power levels in the distance. "Kakarot, over there!"

Vegeta quickly flew in the direction of the power levels, and Goku followed close behind him. They landed on a rock formation that Goku recognized as the home of Broly, Cheelai, and Lemo, but did not see any of them when he peered into the cave in front of them. Instead, three figures stood inside with their backs turned.

"We're too late," Vegeta said to Goku. "But at least we found his lapdogs."

The three figures turned around and faced the Saiyans. In front of them stood a pale man with black hair, green eyes, and half of a helmet made of bone, a tall man with brown hair and lower bone jaw around his neck, and a little girl with blonde hair and a bone helmet. The man with brown hair handed the soul absorption device to the little girl standing next to him.

"Lilynette, he said to her. "Hold this for me, will you?"

"Ahh no way, Starrk," she replied. "I wanna fight, too, this time!"

"Just hang back, I don't plan on fighting anyway."

Vegeta smirked. "I don't think you have a choice. You're not going to escape this time."

"Hold on," Goku said as he looked at the pale Arrancar. "You're the guy that was with Grimmjow on Earth."

"Goku and Vegeta," the Arrancar said. "If you have come here to attempt to stop us, your efforts will be in vain. Lord Aizen will succeed in his plan, and it would be beneficial for both of you to join him so that you may retain your lives."

"Thanks for the offer, but we'll pass. Let's take this somewhere else, Broly still needs a place to live."

Coyote Starrk ran his fingers through his hair and sighed. "Are we really going to do this, Ulquiorra?"

"We have our orders, and our priority after we captured our targets was to eliminate this planet."

Goku and Vegeta raised their eyebrows, as Ulquiorra lifted his hand from his side and pointed his index finger to the ground. Vegeta's instinct kicked in, as he raced in to stop the Arrancar.

"DON'T DO IT!" Goku shouted to Ulquiorra.

"Cero," Ulquiorra whispered and a green blast left his fingertips, and penetrated the ground. Vegeta and Goku gasped, and Vegeta halted his pursuit. The planet began to rumble, as an explosion erupted from the core, engulfing everything on the surface.

Vampa survived, but the sky had turned from its yellow hue to red. Thunderstorms, tornadoes, and spouts of lava had now painted the landscape. The Saiyans and Arrancars were now in the air, as Goku, Vegeta, and even Starrk and Lillynette were left stunned by Ulquiorra's actions.

"Is he crazy!?" Lillynette asked Starrk. "He almost killed us!"

"Was it really necessary to do that now?" Starrk challenged Ulquiorra. "You could have saved that for when we left, instead of almost killing us all."

"I directed my blast to destroy only half of the core," Ulquiorra answered. "In any case, I estimate that this planet has about three minutes until it is no more."

"Why would you do this?!" Goku shouted at Ulquiorra.

"Lord Aizen found that Vampa was not needed for his new world, so he ordered that it'd be destroyed."

Goku gritted his teeth and growled at the Espada. "YOU'LL PAY FOR THIS!" He charged at Ulquiorra and landed a punch to his jaw, but the Arrancar blocked the next attack, and the two began to trade blows away from the others.

Vegeta prepared himself to fight with the other man. "So, are you making the first move, or should I?"

"You can, if you please," Starrk sighed. "But I'm not really in the mood to fight."

"What did you say?"

"How about we just watch those two battle instead."

"That won't be happening, but I'll be sure to make this quick and painless." Vegeta rushed at Coyote Starrk, who pushed away Lilynette and dodged Vegeta's kick. The Saiyan was surprised that he dodged his attack so effortlessly, but the Saiyan turned around and launched a flurry of attacks at the Arrancar who proceeded to dodge all of them. Vegeta grew increasingly frustrated at Starrk's unwillingness to fight.

"Damn you," fumed Vegeta. "I'll grind you into dust if you keep messing with me."

Starrk, looking at Vegeta plainly, answered, "I already told you that I won't fight you, and it looks like you don't have the strength to make me."

Vegeta's face scrunched up as his rage boiled over. "You smug bastard, I'll tear you apart!" Vegeta quickly powered up to Super Saiyan Blue and punched Starrk in his chin, and then proceeded to grab him by his shirt and throw him into the ground. As Starrk hit the ground Vegeta yelled as he fired an energy beam causing lava to erupt into the sky. He waited for the Espada to come up from the lava, but he never did.

"Damn him," Vegeta muttered as he flew down to find Starrk. "He thinks he can toy with me and live."

* * *

Meanwhile, Goku had Ulquiorra cornered against a rock formation and had offered him an ultimatum.

"Just give us back those people and you can walk away from this," Goku told him.

With his clothes tattered and his back against the wall, Ulquiorra slowly drew his sword. "How foolish a proposition. I could never walk away from what Lord Aizen demands of me. Even if it cost me my life again."

He pointed his sword at Goku and chanted, " **Imprison, Murcielago**."

Ulquiorra surrounded himself with black and green energy that spiraled around him. Goku felt a menacing presence emanating from it, so he hopped back and prepared himself. The energy dissipated, and Ulquiorra emerged with a transformed body: his hair had turned white and his shirt disappeared, revealing a green hole in his chest. He now sported a black robe below his waist, and four large black wings from his back. He had a long white tail with black and green energy flaming from the tip, and horns that also radiated the same color of energy.

Goku was stunned by the exponential increase in power from his opponent. Before he could think, however, Ulquiorra pointed his finger towards Goku and fired a Cero Oscuras at him. The black and green blast engulfed Goku, as he flew into the air as a Super Saiyan Blue, with his orange shirt ripped from his left shoulder. The Saiyan lost sight of his target on the ground, but he turned around and looked above him as he heard something from the sky. Before he could react, however, he felt a hand fiercely dig into his neck, crushing his windpipe. As Ulquiorra gripped Goku by his throat, Goku coughed up blood onto the Espada's hand, gasping for air as he tried to break free. Ulquiorra, unphased, drew his hand back and put his fingers together, as he thrust it forward to the center of Goku's chest. Goku was able to grab his hand in the nick of time but saw that Ulquiorra drew his fingers back and left his pointer out. Goku's eyes widened, as he was unable to avoid the point black Cero Oscuras. The explosion in the sky was massive and had caught the attention of the Saiyan Prince.

As Vegeta rushed to the molten sea to find his prey, he turned to see the black and green beam explode, as Goku fell from the sky with his orange shirt completely destroyed, his blue shirt ripped from half of his torso, and smoke coming from his body.

"No… " Vegeta muttered to himself. "KAKAROT!" Vegeta immediately changed his course and headed straight for Goku. He caught him before Goku hit the ground, and looked up to see that all three Arrancars were now above him.

"Our mission is complete," Ulquiorra told the others as he opened the Garganta. "We can report back to Lord Aizen now."

"Finally," Starrk replied.

Lilynette groaned. "You're so lazy, it makes me sick."

"Be quiet, Lilynette," replied Starrk. "We need to get out of here."

Vegeta hated to watch them leave, but with the odds stacked against him at the moment, he had no choice. His frustration mounted as he watched the Arrancar walk through the Garganta and disappear.

Vegeta knew that he couldn't dwell on the situation; Goku was unconscious and Vegeta needed to find a way for both of them to get off of the planet. At first, he thought that he could use a ship that Cheelai and Lemo used to get to Vampa, but he saw no ship nearby, so he assumed it had been destroyed. He kept trying to think of a way to escape, but none seemed viable. He tried to wake Goku but to no avail. The planet had become more unstable, and Vegeta began to lose hope.

With Goku over his shoulder, he gripped his palms and lowered his head. "No… is this how it ends? Dammit, I can't belie-"

Before he could finish, Vegeta felt a hand on his back, as he was teleported back to the Sacred World of the Kais. Vegeta turned around, confused, and saw the Supreme Kai's attendant, Kibito, had saved them.

"Put him down and get to Earth!" the Supreme Kai shouted. "There's no time to explain, just hurry!"

Vegeta put Goku down as he began to connect the dots.

_No...not at a time like this…_

* * *

In the busy streets of Satan City, Gohan walked down the street with a satchel across his body and groceries in his hand. Even though he trained with Piccolo for most of the week, he still had to carry on with his normal life. That meant that he still needed to teach Calculus at West City College, and he still needed to provide for his wife and daughter.

Gohan opened the door to his home as he walked in. He heard the TV playing the news, but there were no voices to be heard. Confused, Gohan went to the kitchen to put the groceries down.

"Hey, Videl?" he called out. "Pan?" He walked into the master bedroom, the bathroom, Pan's bedroom, and his study, but there was no one there. He started to worry, so he ran to the back of the house to check his backyard. Gohan gasped, as he threw the sliding door open to his backyard and ran out. He ran to their swing set and kneeled down to the ground. As Gohan reached down, he picked up a dress that belonged to his wife, and right beside them was Pan's clothes. His heart began to pound, as he didn't want to believe what was happening.

 _This can't be right,_ Gohan thought. _I… I didn't even sense anyone._

Before he could question the circumstances anymore, blood-curdling screams came from the front of his house. Gohan jumped to his feet and flew over the roof of his house to get a bird's eye view of the street. What he saw next both paralyzed him and confirmed his worst fears. Clothing filled the streets, with no one present in his vision. Satan City was silent; everyone was gone.

Gohan began trembling at the sight, but snapped himself out of it, as he finally sensed a presence near him. He turned around, and above him was a brown-skinned woman with blonde hair, wearing the same clothes that Aizen had. In her hand was a device that looked like the one Babidi's henchmen used to drain his energy at the 25th World Tournament. However, he knew that this one contained the souls of all of the inhabitants of Satan City, and maybe more.

He needed to get it back, so he charged her with all of his might, as he threw a punch at her face. The woman dodged his attack and kicked him in the stomach. Gohan was able to take the attack, as he grabbed her leg and flung her away from him. Gohan then powered up to his maximum as the woman recovered. He quickly disappeared from sight and appeared behind her. She turned around as she drew her sword and slashed it at his head. Gohan ducked and hit her with an uppercut that sent her flying above. He then put his right hand over his left in front of his forehead.

"MASENKO-"

Gohan stopped as he realized that a strong enough blast could destroy the container carrying the souls. This hesitation was all the woman needed to recover, as she reversed her grip on her blade and pointed her Zanpakuto downward.

" **Hunt, Tiburon,** " she chanted as a heart-shaped wave of water emerged from her back and surrounded her.

Gohan, sensing that her power was rapidly increasing, prepared himself. He knew that he was in a bind: he had a city to protect under him and had to be careful not to destroy the souls in the device. He started to fear failure, but he still had to fight.

The Arrancar emerged from the water in a completely new attire: spaulders on her shoulders, a bone collar covering that extended down to her breasts, and a thin line of bone that formed from her chest to her mini skirt. She sported new white boots and elbow-length gloves, but the biggest change was that her right hand held her new weapon: a broad sword with three V-shaped openings on its side.

The woman looked down at Gohan as she pointed her sword at him and simply uttered, "Cascada." A giant torrent of water came hurling down at the half Saiyan, as he had no time to react, and was swallowed whole. The water flooded down into Satan City, as Gohan flew out of the flood, only to find that his opponent was no longer there. He searched all around, but then he sensed familiar energy rising above him.

"Oh no," he panicked as he dashed towards Kami's Lookout. "PICCOLO!"

Gohan flew as quickly as he could to help, but by the time he had arrived, it was too late. He arrived above the tower and saw the clothes left behind by Piccolo, Dende, and Mr. Popo. On the ground, he saw the woman with three other women holding smaller Soul Absorption Devices, walking through the Garganta.

"NOOOOO!" Gohan shouted as he raced down in an effort to stop them.

"How pathetic," the woman muttered as she turned around, and the portal shut.

Gohan slid on the tile as he came to a stop and turned to see that they were truly gone without a trace. He ran out to the edge of the Lookout to see if they had gone to another place on Earth. But Gohan didn't sense them, or anybody. He desperately scanned the planet for any energy source, but none turned up. Gohan was now alone, and the Earth was hollow.

Losing his mother, his wife, his daughter, his father-in-law, his friends, and everyone on the planet had broken him. He dropped to his hands and knees, as he tried desperately to hold back tears, but could not. He trained with Piccolo but still did not have the strength to protect anyone. He felt like a failure, just as he did when Cell killed his father, and when he failed to defeat Majin Buu. He lifted his fist and thrust it into the ground, breaking the tile. As he continued to weep, he heard something approaching the Lookout. He looked up and saw Vegeta land next to him.

Vegeta looked down at Gohan and then looked over at the clothes of the Lookout inhabitants. "They're all gone," he said. "Not even the androids made it out."

Gohan looked up at Vegeta with frustration and tears in his eyes. "Where were you? They were all helpless, we didn't see it coming, and where were you?!"

Out of nowhere, Goku teleported next to Gohan. Looking up at his father, Gohan could see Goku's torn clothes, as well as the blood on his arms and face.

"Dad?," Gohan asked. "What happened to you?"

"We ran into trouble on Broly's planet," Goku replied. "They're a lot stronger than we thought, Gohan."

Gohan wiped his tears from his face as he slowly got up from his knees. His head was lowered as Goku continued to speak.

"I'm sorry, son," he apologized.

"No Dad," Gohan replied. "It's my fault." He turned to Vegeta next to him. "Vegeta, I'm-"

"We don't have time to hold hands and share our feelings," Vegeta interrupted. "We need to update Trunks and your brother on the situation." Vegeta fell from the tower and flew down, as Goku and Gohan followed close behind him.

"The two we saw on Vampa were there to divert our attention," Vegeta said as they flew. "They're real aim was to attack more planets. I would be surprised if they hadn't reached their goal yet."

"But why haven't they come after us yet?" asked Goku. "Wouldn't he wanna get rid of us first?"

"Isn't it obvious, Kakarot? Aizen wants a challenge from intelligible fighters, which is probably why he got rid of Broly. He is half a Saiyan after all."

Vegeta turned his head back around and muttered to himself, "That bastard doesn't know half of the hell he's brought on himself."

Gohan turned to Goku. "Hey, dad?"

"What's up?" Goku replied.

"I'm sorry… I couldn't stop them."

"Neither could we. It's not your fault."

"But it is. I neglected my training for so long, and then I trained with Piccolo because it was comfortable, and I didn't think I could keep up with you guys. I can't make excuses anymore. Would it be okay if I went to Beerus' Planet and trained with you two?"

Goku beamed at his son. "Of course, we'll start as soon as we get back."

They soon arrived at Capsule Corporation. As they landed on the walkway, the three of the same two sets of clothes in the yard beside them. Vegeta looked but then proceeded to look away as he walked into his house. Goku clenched his fist as he walked behind him, while Gohan lowered his head and followed. Vegeta made it to the bedroom and grabbed the walkie talkie that sat on a dresser. He then walked outside as Goku and Gohan followed him. Vegeta had not made a sound until he lifted the walkie talkie to his mouth.

"Hello, Trunks, can you hear me?"

"Yea, Dad, I'm here, what's wrong?"

"I'm going to make this short and to the point, so listen up. First, I want you to find the names of two of Aizen's men. A man with pale skin and green eyes, and a tall man with brown hair."

Before Vegeta continued, Gohan shouted. "And a girl with brown skin and blonde hair."

"Was that Gohan?" Trunks asked.

Vegeta ignored this and continued. "Second, whoever the man with green eyes is, he was able to overwhelm Kakarot, so be prepared. I suspect that Aizen hasn't shown his full power either."

"He beat Goku!? How?"

"He powered up to a level stronger than Super Saiyan Blue, that's how. But the third... "

Vegeta cleared his throat before he continued, speaking in a softer but wavering voice. "The third and last thing is that Earth was attacked and no one but Gohan survived."

There was silence for about 5 seconds before Trunks responded.

"So… Mom and Bulla are…"

"They're gone. They attacked Earth while Kakarot and I fought on another planet. They've probably already collected the 100 billion souls by now. I'll confirm that with you later."

"... okay…"

"That's all for now." Vegeta brought the walkie talkie down and turned to Goku. "Alright, let's go."

Goku nodded, and the three teleported to Beerus' Planet. Once there, Vegeta tossed the walkie talkie to Gohan and then flew off in another direction.

Halfway around the planet, he landed on a mountain top. He clenched his fists and eyes twitched, as he was now able to expose all of his pent up rage.

_First, they make a mockery of me on two separate occasions, and then they take my family…_

"RAAAAAAAHHHHH!"

Vegeta shouted with all of his might as he unleashed his power, causing a massive explosion.

_I will make Aizen and whoever that bastard is suffer. I will make them both beg me for mercy, and I will crush the life out of them. They will know my wrath if it is the last thing that I do._

Gohan was stunned as he heard the explosion and felt the shockwave from the other side of the planet. Goku, however, powered up to Super Saiyan Blue himself and prepared to begin sparring.

"Come on, Gohan," he said. "We've got a lot of work to do, and I can't take it easy on you."

Gohan stepped back to fight. He was now ready to spend the next six months in agony if it meant that he could surpass his limits and save his family.

"That's the way it needs to be," he responded. "I'm ready when you are."

With that, Goku and his son charged at each other, as they began their training.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've suddenly discovered spacing via horizontal lines, and its great. I wanted to get a little farther with the story, but I'll save it for the next chapter. As always, thanks for reading, I hope you've enjoyed it so far.


	9. Blind

_This place inside my mind_

_A place I like to hide_

_You don't know the chances_

_What if I should die?_

* * *

The walkie talkie fell from Trunks' hand as he finished speaking with his father. He had just heard that Aizen's henchmen had defeated Goku and that his mother, sister, and everyone he cared about had their souls stolen. In the back of his head, he knew that these were possibilities, but he always thought that Goku, Gohan, and his father would protect the Earth. But now, they had an enemy on their hands that possessed power greater than their own, while also having three of their strongest fighters under hypnosis. The only ones that weren't under Aizen's spell were Trunks, Goten, and Ichigo, but they weren't nearly strong enough combined to face foes of that caliber, meaning that his mother and sister would be gone forever. All of these thoughts raced through his head, as Trunks began to break down.

His palms began to sweat, and he began to experience hot flashes. He felt tightness in his chest as his heartbeat dramatically sped up. He grabbed on to the top of a nearby shelf as he felt his vision tunnel. He tried to catch his breath, but accidentally pushed over a shelf and fell as he continued to breathe heavily.

Just then, Soifon entered the room from the entrance to the basement. She was caught off guard at the sight of various products scattered on the floor, as a frantic Trunks turned around and looked at her from the ground.

"What the… what happened up here?" she asked as she approached him. "And what's the matter with you?"

"Stay back!" he exclaimed as he continued to gasp. "Please, I just… I need air!"

Trunks abruptly stood to his feet and ran out the door.

"Hey!" she yelled as she chased after him. "Where are you going!?"

Trunks raced past Jinta as he ran into the yard and powered up his aura to fly into the distance. Soifon watched from the yard as Trunks soared out of her sight.

 _What the hell got into him?_ She pondered. _He was fine a minute ago, and now he just loses it? What gives?_

Soifon sensed Trunks' energy in the distance. _His spiritual pressure is erratic. At least he didn't get that far._

She then Flash Stepped to quickly get to Trunks' location.

* * *

The young Saiyan isolated himself into an alleyway, clutching a brick wall as he tried to regain his composure. He stopped gasping for air, but he still couldn't stop his body from shaking. He turned around and slid down the brick wall, as he sat with his knees to his chest. He put his head between his legs as he gripped the roots of his hair and shut his eyes tight.

He didn't want to accept that this was reality and that they were all going to die. He felt like an idiot for believing they could make it out alive and that everything would be okay. Trunks felt like the fate of the universes depended on him, and he would inevitably fail them. He couldn't take it. It was his worst nightmare and he felt like he didn't want to exist anymore. He began to hyperventilate again, as the weight of expectations became overbearing.

Soifon watched from a rooftop above and observed his behavior. _Whatever happened really did a number on him. He's having a breakdown. Maybe I can…_

Soifon used to spy on Trunks when he first arrived but stopped when Yoruichi had scolded her about it after the fifth day. Since then, she came to accept that Trunks was not hostile, but she still didn't like him. To her, he gave off an Urahara type of vibe, and that pissed her off. She tried to constantly brush him off, but he wouldn't go away. When she was avoidant to anyone else, they would naturally avoid her, but Trunks didn't, and she couldn't understand why.

Seeing him in this state made her want to find out more about what had happened. Maybe Ichigo would come and they would talk about it more.

 _No,_ she thought as she walked away. _I promised Lady Yoruichi that I would give up spying. It's none of my business anyway._

But something in her, something that she couldn't explain, made her stop. She wrestled with the thought for another minute, and then sighed, as she kept walking to the opposite edge of the building.

_If I do this, I better approach him carefully. Who knows the Hollows he'll attract if I drop in on him when he's like this._

Soifon dropped down the building and walked around to the alleyway where Trunks was. As Trunks continued to sink into despair, he looked up and saw her approaching him. His heart skipped, as he quickly wiped his face and turned away. She stood in front of him and Trunks turned his head and faced her.

"Hey," he said.

"Hello," she replied. "Are you feeling better now?"

Trunks put on a smile as he started speaking quickly. "Oh yea, definitely better now. Sorry about all of that. I uhh… just have a little bit of claustrophobia, that's all. Tight spaces… ya know?"

Soifon sighed as she sat down on the wall opposite of Trunks. "Listen, I don't have time for lies, so don't bullshit me, because the next time you do, you'll be holding your tongue in your hands."

Trunks' fake smile disappeared, as his eyes slowly fell to the ground.

"You had an anxiety attack," she continued. "What happened?"

Trunks took a few seconds and then answered. "The Earth in my universe was attacked by Aizen's forces. There's no one left on the planet, except for Goten's brother. My mother, my sister, my friends... all gone."

The scowl that usually rested on Soifon's face left as she heard this news.

Trunks continued. "The part that really got to me is that Goten's father was apparently defeated by one of Aizen's men, meaning that Aizen is probably a lot more powerful than we thought he could be."

"Who was it?"

Trunks looked up at her. "Huh?"

"The person that defeated his father, who was it?"

"I don't know his name, but my dad told me he was a pale guy with green eyes."

Soifon gasped as she quickly sat forward. "Ulquiorra?!"

"Who?" Trunks asked.

"Ulquiorra Cifer, the 4th Espada. I never encountered him, but I read his file. He was killed by Ichigo in Hueco Mundo, so how could he be alive?"

"It must've been the Super Dragon Balls. They have the power to grant any wish across the multiverse. That must've been the wish Aizen made before he destroyed them."

"So all of the Espada are alive again? Dammit… "

"Wait, who are the Espada?"

"The Espada are Aizen's ten strongest soldiers. They number from zero to nine. Zero being the strongest, and nine the weakest."

"So Goku was… he was only beat by the fourth-strongest?"

Soifon nodded.

Trunks lowered his head again. "Shit… this is bad. What the hell am I gonna do?"

Soifon stood up. "There's nothing you can do, but train as hard as you can, and reach Bankai." She reached out her hand, and Trunks grabbed it and pulled himself up.

"But… what if it's not enough? What if we can't stop him?"

"You have to believe in your abilities, or else you'll die. Aizen is powerful, yes, but he's also a master at psychological warfare. If you let him live in your head, then he's already beaten you. So keep getting stronger, and fight for your loved ones."

Trunks knew that she was right. He may have been terrified at failure, but all he could do was try. That's what Goten was doing, it's what Ichigo was doing, it's what his father was doing, and it's what his future self did. Trunks felt his spirits being lifted, as he turned to Soifon and smiled.

"Huh?" she asked, puzzled by his expression. "What's the matter with you now?"

"Nothing," he answered. "I just wanted to say thanks, for being here when I needed somebody."

Soifon crossed her arms and looked the other way. "Yeah well, I guess you can say I have… experience, and I guess I owed you for helping me before."

"See, I knew you weren't as cold as you let on. There's a heart under that shihakusho."

Soifon's resting scowl returned in full force. "You are a fucking idiot. Get the hell out of here before I split your head open."

"Alright, alright, I'll go, but before I do, I'm gonna need those files on the Espada. Make three copies, actually, and make sure one of them gets to Goten. I'll take the other two. Also, make sure the Soul Society knows that Aizen probably collected the souls for the Oken, and let Goten know specifically about Earth. He's probably not gonna take that well, either."

Soifon nodded.

"Thanks, I'll see you tomorrow." Trunks walked a few steps away and waved goodbye, as Soifon lifted her hand from her folded arms to see him off. With that, Trunks took the air and flew back to Urahara's. As he disappeared from her sight, Soifon smirked as she turned and headed back for the Soul Society.

* * *

Trunks landed back at Urahara's and opened the door into the shop. He saw that Tessai, Kisuke, and Jinta were cleaning the items from the floor.

"I'll get all of that!" Trunks exclaimed. "Sorry about this guys, I just-"

Jinta stopped picking up the inventory from the floor and turned to Trunks. "First you come in and mooch, then you drop everything on the floor and run out like a crazy guy on fire, what's next-"

"Jinta," Urahara interrupted. "Thank you for helping out, but we'll clean up the rest."

Jinta grunted as he walked towards the door.

"Hey," Trunks said to him. "How about we do some BP tomorrow?"

Jinta stopped and looked at Trunks. "And why would I wanna practice with you?"

"Well I do have a mean curveball, and your batting is a little sloppy."

A fire lit up in Jinta's eyes. "You, me, tomorrow at 12. We'll see who's sloppy."

Trunks smiled, as Jinta walked out the door and shut it behind him. Trunks turned back around to Urahara, but Kisuke started speaking before he did.

"Trunks, you can take the rest of the day off, if you'd like."

"I'm okay now," Trunks replied. "I just-"

"There's no need to explain, I heard everything, and I must say that you bounce back pretty quickly under the circumstances."

"Yea, well, we can't get around it, so we might as well face it."

Suddenly, the door to the shop flung open, as Ichigo stood at the entrance in his school clothes, panting and sweating. "Trunks! You alright?"

"Yea," Trunks replied as he faced Ichigo. "I'm fine. Aren't you supposed to be at school?"

"I have lunch right now. Your spiritual pressure was all over the place, so I ran over here. What happened…" Ichigo paused as he looked down at the ground. "And what the hell kinda tornado hit this place?"

"I'll clean this up and then I'll tell you real quick."

"Let me help, it'll be faster that way."

After the group cleaned up the mess and placed the shelf upright again, Urahara, Trunks, and Ichigo sat down to listen to Trunks explain the situation. Trunks first addressed that his Earth's population had been absorbed, to which Ichigo offered his sympathies. When Trunks spoke about how Goku was defeated by Ulquiorra, Ichigo nearly jumped out of his skin.

"Ulquiorra's alive?! No way, Orihime and I saw him turn to dust right in front of us! And there's no way he could be that strong!"

"It must've been the Hogyoku," Kisuke said. "Seeing that Aizen desired the strength that had been attained by the Saiyans, it gave it to him, slowly, but surely, which is probably why it's taken him a couple of years to come out of hiding. That and tracking down those planet-sized Dragon Balls you talked about, Trunks."

Trunks jumped in. "On that subject, Aizen must've used the Super Dragon Balls to revive the Espada, maybe his whole army. He knows that you can't use the Universe 7 Dragon Balls for Universe 6 so that definitely confirms the wish he made with that set. But the Earth ones… I've been thinking that one wish was to create whatever device he's stealing souls with, but I can't figure out the other one."

Without hesitation, Kisuke asked, "Could it have been for immortality?"

Ichigo gasped. "You can wish for that?"

"Yea," Trunks replied. "I've been leaning towards that, but I wanna keep all options on the table because that would definitely be the worst outcome."

"Well…" Kisuke said. "It wouldn't be the best, but it's certainly not as bad as you might believe."

"Huh?" Trunks sat forward in curiosity. "You know how to beat someone who's immortal?"

"Of course he does," Ichigo said as he sat back on his hands. "This is Kisuke we're talking about."

"It's not impossible to beat someone who's immortal," Kisuke said. "But I think it'd be better to discuss that later. Right now, I think it's time for you to start forming a relationship with your Zanpakuto."

"You read my mind on that one," Ichigo said. "I've been waiting till you got used to swinging your sword, but it's time you finally met Old Man Zangetsu."

Trunks turned his head to Ichigo. "Yea, but you can't skip class for this."

"Oh, I won't. I'll just show you, and then I'll come back later and we'll keep training." Ichigo then turned to Urahara. "Hell, if he gets the hang of Shikai fast enough, we can use that doll again and he'll learn Bankai in no time, right?"

"Wait," Trunks said perplexed. "I thought Bankai took a while to master."

"It does," Kisuke replied. "And I think it would be better that it does." Kisuke then addressed Ichigo. "Ichigo, the Tenshintai that you used to attain Bankai helped in the short term, but from what you told me, your fight against Byakuya almost got you killed because your Bankai was too much for you to handle at that point. That's one of the adverse effects of the Tenshintai."

"But we still have 6 months," Ichigo said as he sat forward. "We can train after so that he doesn't have that happen."

"Even so, the relationship with your Zanpakuto fractures. I'm sure you had to experience that."

Ichigo lowered his head. "So we just have to chance it that he'll learn Bankai in time?"

"If not, then we'll force it out, but Trunks is a fast learner, so it shouldn't be a problem. You two should probably get started now."

Trunks and Ichigo went to the basement, and Ichigo turned towards Trunks to begin his instruction.

"Alright," Ichigo said. "So first, get out your Zanpakuto."

"Ok," Trunks replied as he summoned his sword and drew the blade from his back.

"Now, you're gonna sit down and put your Zanpakuto on your lap and meditate."

"That's all?"

"Yup, that's the way my dad showed me to get into my inner world."

Trunks did just as Ichigo said, but before he shut his eyes, Trunks looked up to Ichigo and spoke to him.

"So, what should I expect?" he asked.

"He's… I guess he's fine. Maybe you'll even learn the Getsuga Tenshou today. Anyway, I'm gonna head back to school, I'll see ya later, alright?"

"Alright, I'll see you, bro."

Ichigo left, and Trunks closed his eyes and tried to clear his head. Breathing through his nose, he relaxed in the quiet space. Within a minute, he found that he was in a completely different space than he was before. He opened his eyes and saw that he sat on the side of a building.

"What the hell, why am I-"

Before he could finish, he found that he was falling towards the ground. He quickly saved himself by flying and then began to observe his surroundings. In front and behind him, skyscrapers stretched as far as his eyes could see. Below him, the skyscrapers stood in a few feet of water, and above him was a deep blue sky with a few clouds. As he looked up, he also saw something black waving in the wind. Trunks flew up to see what it was, and he came to the roof of the building where he faced a man in a robe, standing on a pole that protruded from the building.

"You've finally come, Trunks," the man said solemnly.

"Yea," Trunks answered. "It's nice to finally meet you. You don't look as old as Ichigo said you did."

"Why have you come?"

"Huh?"

"What are you doing here, in this world?"

"Well, I came to meet you, of course."

"But what is your purpose in meeting me?"

Trunks paused before answering. "I came here because I need the power to beat Aizen. I need your help."

"If you want to request my help, then prove you are worthy."

Before Trunks could reply, a sword came swinging at the side of his head. He ducked under, and then dodged a strike that came from above by somersaulting over Zangetsu's head and landed on the roof of the building. Zangetsu turned and lept from the pole and onto the rooftop.

"A heads up of any kind would've been much appreciated!" Trunks yelled.

"Do you think that your enemy will warn you when he will attack?" Zangetsu replied.

"That's… a fair point, but I wasn't really considering you my enemy when I met you for all of 30 seconds."

"No matter what the situation, you must always stay on your guard. Draw your Zanpakuto and prepare for battle."

"Sure." Trunks summoned his sword and drew it to his side, as he stepped back and readied himself to fight. He made the first move, charging at Zangetsu and feinting a head-on attack for a slash to his side. Zangetsu parried and began to launch a series of high speed strikes at Trunks, giving the Saiyan no time to do anything but block.

 _Goddammit,_ he thought to himself as he kept on the defensive. _Ichigo couldn't at least tell me this guy's a master fucking swordsman? I'm gonna beat his ass for this shit._

As he started to learn Zangetsu's patterns, Trunks was then able to get himself together and launch a counter-offensive, pushing Zangetsu back and allowing him to think of his next strategy.

Now, standing from a distance, Zangetsu posed Trunks a question. "Why are you hesitant to strike me?"

"Well, I'm trying," Trunks replied. "But you're pretty good at this."

"That's not what I meant. You had multiple chances to cut me, but you did not take them. Why are you holding back?"

Trunks' eyes widened as his secret had been revealed.

"But… how'd you know that?"

"I know you Trunks, as you should know me. So, why do you hesitate?"

"Because… why would I cut you when I'm trying to make you my ally?"

"Do I not stand in your way to power? Is that not the entire reason you have come here? If you want to prove your resolve and attain more strength, then come at me and don't restrain yourself."

Trunks nodded, as he quickly powered up to his maximum in Pseudo Blue. "I hope you're ready for this." He quickly charged at Zangetsu and immediately gained the upper hand. He then used a series of Afterimages to distract Zangetsu, before appearing behind him and putting the blade to his neck.

"I can give you a clean shave if you wanna keep going," Trunks jested.

"That won't be necessary," Zangetsu replied as he lowered his sword. "You have shown me that you are ready."

Trunks powered down and placed his sword back in its scabbard, as Zangetsu continued to speak."

"Before I teach you anything, tell me, what is it that you're afraid of?"

Knowing that it was pointless to hold back, Trunks answered, "I guess… I'm afraid of losing it all, and I guess I'm afraid of dying, too."

Zangetsu turned towards Trunks. "Trunks, if you put your trust in me, then I will not let you fall. Let go of your fear, and go forward."

"Thanks, Zangetsu." Trunks put out his hand and shook hands with his Zanpakuto, before being teleported out of the world. With Trunks now gone, Zangetsu lept back onto the pole that he had stood on before.

A presence emerged from the shadows and spoke to Zangetsu. "So, what do you think?"

Without turning around, Zangetsu replied, "He must grow more, but there is promise in him."

"Hmph, it's looking like that body'll be mine soon enough."

"That may be. It's already begun to rain."

* * *

Trunks jolted himself out of his meditation, as he opened his eyes and found that he was back in the training grounds. "Well, that was fun," he remarked.

Somehow, something felt different. After he shook Zangetsu's hand, he felt some inexplicable change. He grabbed his Zanpakuto from his lap and stood up."Might as well try this now."

He brought his sword behind him and began to channel his energy through the blade. "GETSUGA, TENSHOU!" he shouted as he slashed the sword downward, launching a slash of energy towards a rock formation.

"Aw, yea, I did it!" he whooped until he came to a realization. "But, why is mine so small? Guess I gotta practice before Ichigo tries to clown me."

* * *

Back in the Squad 10 barracks, Goten and Toshiro stood inside of a room, as Goten read a file that was just dropped off by a Squad 2 member.

"So," Toshiro inquired. "What does it say?"

Goten turned to Toshiro. "Here, read it for yourself."

Toshiro took the file, noticing that something was wrong with Goten, but upon reading, he immediately found out why. He gasped, as the first page within the file detailed that his father had been defeated by Ulquiorra and that the citizens of Earth had been taken.

"Goten, I'm-"

Before he could finish, Toshiro could hear the Saiyan breathing heavier. He looked up to see Goten facing away from him, with his hair beginning to stick up, and electricity violently radiating from his body. 

_Mom, Pan, Piccolo… DAMMIT! They even beat Dad, too!_

Toshiro had no idea what to say to him, but soon enough, Goten calmed himself down. He took a deep breath in and out and then turned to Toshiro.

"Sorry about that," he said. "I just needed to let off a little steam."

"It's okay, I understand. I'm sorry, Goten."

Goten's smile partly returned. "It's fine. Now I just have a little more skin in the game."

"We can take the rest of the day off if you want to."

"No sir, I'll go back to my inner world in a second. But first, you still haven't shown me that energy ball."

Toshiro brought his hands close together and then separated them, as a yellow energy ball the size of an orange, appeared between them.

"Hey, we got a fast learner here," Goten remarked.

Toshiro held the ball up in his right hand. "Well, it wasn't that difficult."

"Then I guess you're ready to learn how to fly, and if you get that fast, then I can teach you a bunch of things you can do with energy."

"Hmph, it's almost like you forget you're the one that came to train."

"Don't worry I'm definitely getting my training in. I think Hyourinmaru likes me, anyway… "

Goten suddenly started to notice that the energy Toshiro was holding started to become unstable without him noticing. "Wait, you gotta stay focused or you'll-"

The energy exploded in Toshiro and Goten's face. While Toshiro was shocked, Goten fell to the ground laughing.

"I uhh… didn't think that would happen."

Goten controlled himself and spoke. "Guess we both got our work cut out for us."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It took way longer to get this out than I would've liked. Now I'm working two jobs, but I'm still tryna bust these bad boys out within a week. Anyway, thanks for reading!


	10. Raised in Hell

_Memories coursing through my veins_

_Like the scars in yours, my roots remain_

_I was raised in hell_

_I made it out by myself_

_I was raised to bleed_

_Bad blood runs wild and free_

* * *

"HAAAAA!" Gohan shouted as he launched a Kamehameha from the air towards a Super Saiyan Vegeta standing on the ground. Vegeta stared into the beam and let it engulf him, as an explosion brought forth a shockwave that blew in the faces of Gohan and Goku, who was spectating nearby. From the air, Gohan could see Vegeta fly backwards from the smoke cloud. Gohan powered up to chase him down, and as he approached, he threw an overhead punch to Vegeta. Vegeta dodged but was met with a spinning back kick to his ribcage. Vegeta was pushed back but stopped himself by digging his heels in the dirt.

Gohan kept on the offensive by charging towards Vegeta and throwing a roundhouse kick to his head. Vegeta ducked under and swept Gohan's other leg from under him. As he fell towards the ground, the half Saiyan fell backwards onto his hands and backflipped onto his feet. Before he could make another move, however, Vegeta appeared in front of Gohan and grabbed a hold of his chin. Lifting him off the ground, Vegeta slammed Gohan's head into the dirt.

The Saiyan prince let go of Gohan and stood up. "Just because I told you to be more aggressive does not mean you forget to defend yourself. You should've never let that happen!"

"Aw, come on, Vegeta," Goku said as he approached the two. "It's only been a week and Gohan's been getting a lot better."

Gohan disagreed with his father as he sat up from the dirt. "No, he's right." He rose to his feet and rolled his neck from side to side before readying himself. "Alright, how about another-"

Gohan was interrupted by a group of energies he sensed in the distance. Goku and Vegeta noticed it, too, as the three of them turned their heads in the direction of the powers.

"Is that the Espada?" Gohan asked.

"Yea, it feels like them," Goku answered.

"Damn it," Vegeta grunted. "They're not even trying to hide themselves anymore."

"But what could they be up to?" asked Goku.

"I'm not sure," Gohan said. "They might be destroying more planets, or maybe they just don't feel the need to hide anymore, but in any case… I think we need to pay them a visit."

"Say what?!" the Saiyans yelled at Gohan.

"Don't worry, I just want a word with Aizen. He already knows we're not in any position to fight yet."

"Well," Goku said as he put his fingers on his head. "I guess it wouldn't hurt to pay him a visit."

"Let's make this quick," Vegeta said. "I might be tempted to fight if I'm there for too long."

With Gohan and Vegeta put their hands onto Goku, as he then transmitted the three of them to Aizen's location. They arrived in the front of a room with a long table, where each of the Espada sat, with Sosuke Aizen sitting at the head of the table at the end of the room. The Espada all quickly looked up to the Saiyans, but none of them spoke. Grimmjow, however, smiled and bared his teeth at Vegeta, who glared right back at him. Goku set his eyes on Ulquiorra, who returned a cold gaze. The low, quiet hum of an engine filled the room.

"Hi," Gohan said. "Sorry if I'm interrupting your meeting."

Aizen slowly looked at them and smiled. "Goku, Vegeta, and Gohan welcome to our ship. To what do I owe this pleasure? Have you finally come to accept my offer?"

"Not gonna happen, but how about we make a deal."

"A deal, you say? What do you propose?"

"Leave all of these planets alone, and we'll come and face you when the time comes. If you manage to beat us, then Universe 6 and 7 are yours."

"Gohan, are you really in any position to bargain?"

"Maybe not, so I'll raise the stakes on my end. If you win, I'll join you."

Goku and Vegeta turned to Gohan and gasped at what he said, but they could speak up, Aizen started to chuckle at Gohan's proposal."My, pledging your servitude to me? That opportunity is too good to pass on. Fine, I'll take you on your offer."

"Good, see you in 5 months." Gohan turned around and motioned his dad and Vegeta that it was time to leave. Goku prepared to use Instant Transmission, while Vegeta took the last few seconds to glare at Starrk, who looked back, but then looked away after a couple of seconds.

"Before you leave," Aizen said as Gohan was turned away from him. "Would you also like me to place a wager as well?"

Gohan turned his body halfway to Aizen and answered. "There's no need. Taking your life will be enough for me." With that, Goku teleported the trio from the ship, back to Beerus' Planet.

"That's quite a bet you placed on yourself," Vegeta commented.

"I just had to give him a little incentive," Gohan replied. "But it's not like that'll happen anyway. We have all of the data Trunks gave us on these guys, we'll have lots of time to form strategies. Our only concern is getting stronger, and at the rate we're going, we should be more than enough to handle them."

Goku smiled. "Well, then we better get back to training."

"So Gohan," Vegeta said. "Shall we continue?"

"Hey," Goku protested. "I think it's my turn now, Vegeta."

"Butt out, Kakarot. We were about to go another round before we left. Besides, you trained with him all day yesterday, so it's only fair that I get him for the day."

"You know what else is fair? A good, old fashioned game of Rock, Paper, Scissors!"

"I'm not even tempted to entertain that this time."

* * *

Back on Aizen's ship in deep space, the Espada had turned their attention back to their leader.

"Well," Aizen said to his underlings. "I guess we have no more business here. Grimmjow…"

"Yes, my lord," he answered.

"Guide the ship back to Hueco Mundo. We'll be stationed there until they come to meet their end."

Aizen adjourned the meeting, and the Espada withdrew themselves back to their quarters, except for Grimmjow, who walked down a corridor to the ship's control room. Entering through an automatic sliding door, he sat down in a chair and began to reroute the ship through a series of touch screen commands.

 _Just a little bit longer_ , he thought. _And then they'll all see who's the king._

* * *

He had desired it for as long as he could remember, even when he couldn't remember: the title of king, the strongest of all. Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez was born a pure-blooded Saiyan, even though his blue hair had some to believe otherwise. This attribute was inherited from his mother, who also gave him his name, another part of Grimmjow that made people speculate whether or not he was a Saiyan. However, this did not concern him. He, nor his father, Prince Gula, had a relationship with his mother. As far as Grimmjow was concerned, no amount of joking or jeering would discourage him from his goals.

Gula instilled a deep pride in Grimmjow, just as Vegeta had been from his father. His Saiyan pride, even from a young age, drove him to train hard to be stronger than his peers. Grimmjow knew that he would probably never have a chance to be crowned king, and he didn't mind. He had no desire to lead people anyway. To him, being a king meant becoming the most powerful fighter so that no one can stand in your path.

His cousin, Vegeta, was three years younger than him, but they constantly trained and dreamed of becoming Super Saiyans, so that they could one day crush Frieza and his army to return the Saiyans' their independence. He planned that he would support his uncle, King Vegeta, until his death, and then Vegeta and he would rule and usher in a new era of might, but then everything changed.

Grimmjow was conquering a planet for Frieza when he got word that Planet Vegeta was struck by a meteor. He was only 8 at the time, and now that his father, King Vegeta, and the rest of his race had perished, the remaining survivors and he had now become direct servants of Frieza. Vegeta was good at bottling up his feelings about the situation, but Grimmjow could not. He hated with every fiber of his being that he now had to do all of Frieza's dirty work, and he kept training with Vegeta, honing their skills so that they could one day break free. Raditz and Nappa were useless to him, but to Grimmjow, Vegeta was practically his brother. For the next 15 years, they were feared across the galaxy and were practically inseparable.

One day, however, Frieza assigned the Saiyans multiple planets to conquer within a short span of time, requiring them to divide and conquer. As they prepared to leave for their missions, Grimmjow and Vegeta conversed as they walked to Grimmjow's pod.

"You're sure you don't want me to come?" asked Vegeta.

Grimmjow smirked. "Appule said that Kadassil is nothing but a bunch of weaklings. It'll be a boring mission. What's wrong, scared to go off on your own? Still want me to hold your hand?"

"Shut the hell up. I just wanted to make sure that planet isn't too much for you. I know you get overwhelmed by the bigger ones."

"Nothing is a challenge for me, but how about you worry about the other two fuck ups instead."

"Hmph, if they die, then they didn't deserve to live this long."

"It'd be a good day if Raditz bit the bullet. I might have to kill him myself when I come back, he's really getting on my nerves."

They both arrived at the pod, and Grimmjow pulled out a tiny remote to open it up. Once the door came down, he stepped inside and sat down.

"I'll ask you one more time," Vegeta said as he grinned and crossed his arms. "Are you sure those weaklings won't kill you?"

"Worry about yourself," Grimmjow replied. "Because last time I checked, I was the one with the biggest power level around here."

"Well you're scouter must've been malfunctioning. We'll have to put that to the test when you get back."

"Numbers don't lie, Prince, and I'll be more than happy to prove that. Loser buys drinks tonight."

"Deal."

Grimmjow closed the door to his pod before it slowly lifted into their and took off with incredible speed. He landed on Kadassil and quickly terminated all hostile threats with ease.

"No challengers today?" he asked as he looked around at the bodies he had laid to waste. "What a bummer. I can't even get a warmup on this piece of shit planet." The scouter on his right eye started to beep. "Well, well, guess there were a few of you hiding from me."

Grimmjow turned around and bore a big smile as he shouted into the air. "Come on out! If you do, the first shot's free! Go ahead and take it anywhere you want!"

Three warriors native to the planet jumped out from behind a rock formation. While the Saiyan looked up at them, a small energy beam was shot from behind him, hitting his scouter and breaking it. One of the Kadassil warriors he thought he had killed before had feigned death and seized his opportune moment to strike. Grimmjow winced, but then turned and fired an energy wave, erasing the man from sight.

However, as Grimmjow was turned around, one of the warriors from the air fired a blast at the Saiyan's space pod, destroying it. Grimmjow quickly turned around in shock as the warriors landed. He could feel nothing but absolute rage.

"I'M GONNA TEAR YOU FUCKERS APART!" he shouted as he charged towards the trio. They tried to prepare themselves, but Grimmjow was too fast for them. He impaled one of the Kadassil natives through their heart. He quickly ripped out his hand and put it in front of the face of another warrior, firing an energy wave that blew his head from his neck. The third warrior was so stunned from the death of his allies, that he was completely caught off guard when Grimmjow clutched his throat and lifted him into the air.

Grimmjow scowled at his enemy. "You bastards think you can trap me here? Big mistake. My allies will be here, and now we'll burn this whole place to the ground!"

The Kadasilian tried to speak, even though Grimmjow's grip was tightening. "You… won't escape. You… are going… to… to die here… with us." The warrior smiled, but Grimmjow crushed his throat, as his neck began to ooze out blood. The warrior's head slumped to the side, as the Saiyan threw his lifeless body away from him.

"Hmph, die here? None of you even had the strength combined to-"

Grimmjow was cut off as he and everything around him began to violently shake.

 _An earthquake?_ He pondered. _What the hell's going on here?_

He had no way of sensing if this was a new threat or just a natural disaster, so he jumped into the air to look out for more enemies. Within a few seconds, however, the ground under him began to cave in and give way to magma. The sky became clouded, and lava shot thousands of feet into the air.

"No way! Those idiots are crazy enough to blow up their own planet?!" Grimmjow quickly flew across the dying world, searching and praying for a ship, space pod, or any type of transportation. Every ship he had found, had sunk into molten rock, and Grimmjow lost hope. On the last spot of ground he could find, Grimmjow fell to his knees. He could feel the heat beginning to burn his skin, while air became drier, making it harder to breathe.

"Dammit… so this is how it all ends. What a waste, I never even came close to killing Frieza. I… I never came close to being a Super Saiyan."

As Grimmjow accepted death, a ship came flying into the atmosphere and rapidly approached the Saiyan. A ramp on the underside of the ship opened, and a man with brown hair and glasses came and stuck his hand out.

"Get in, now!" he shouted.

Grimmjow, without any more time to hesitate, flew up into the ship, as the ramp closed and they took off. Kadassil exploded into nothingness as they flew into deep space. Grimmjow was hunched over, trying to catch his breath, as the man began to speak to him.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

Grimmjow stood up straight. "Yea, I'm fine now. Who the hell are you, anyway, and how did you know where I was?"

"My name is Sosuke Aizen, and I'm a Saiyan, like you. I was in the area doing research and I happened to see that Kadassil was self-destructing, and that's how I found you."

Grimmjow inspected the man closely, seeing that he was not dressed as a Frieza Force soldier, nor did he have a common trait that all of his Saiyan brethren shared.

"A Saiyan, huh?" Grimmjow questioned. "Well, where's your tail then?"

"I removed it because I felt it was unnecessary. Not only is the form unsightly, but it's also a detriment to speed and precision."

"Why would that even matter when you have the power to destroy everything in sight?"

"Grimmjow, do you want true power, the power to crush enemies like Frieza?

"Of course I want that power, and one day I will have it when I become Super Saiyan."

"I can guarantee you strength that isn't a myth if you join me.

"Join you? But, I can't… I can't abandon-"

"Vegeta can take care of himself. If you want to be stronger, then come with me."

Aizen put his hand out, and Grimmjow hesitated but ended up shaking his hand, agreeing to Aizen's proposal.

* * *

Grimmjow's eyes were closed, but he could feel that he was laying in sand. He opened his eyes and looked at his new environment: a deserted wasteland with a night sky. Sandy white dunes stretched as far as he could see. He tried to stand up, but something felt off, extremely off. He stood up on four legs, and his jaw was filled with razor-sharp teeth. The thing that was confusing him the most was that he had no idea if this was normal to him or not. In fact, he didn't know what or where he was before that moment. The only things he remembered were his name, and his innate desire to be the strongest. It was this desire that allowed him to survive in Hueco Mundo.

As an Adjucha class Menos, the panther roamed the realm, searching for more Hollows to devour to continue to increase his power. Along the way, he would encounter a group of Adjuchas that would later become his Fracción. Even though he became their leader by default, he didn't truly care about them. They were only there to assist him in gaining more power.

Eventually, Grimmjow gained enough power as an Adjucha to take notice of Aizen. After 30 years of prowling through the deserts of Hueco Mundo, he had been turned into an Arrancar, gaining back his original form with the addition of a bone mask on his right jaw, green eyeliner, a hole through his abdomen, and number 6 on his back. Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez had attained the power he'd sought for so long, but it still wasn't enough to gain his independence from people like Aizen. It still wasn't enough to crush a foe like Ichigo Kurosaki. It still wasn't enough to make him feel like the king.

* * *

After his defeat at the hands of Ichigo and his betrayal by Nnoitra, Grimmjow had been left for dead under the bright canopy of Las Noches. However, when Aizen survived Ichigo's Mugetsu and escaped into Hueco Mundo, he returned to Las Noches when all of the Soul Reapers had left. Aizen and Grimmjow escaped into space through the Garganta with a dozen other Arrancar. The 6th Espada was the only member of Aizen's elites to survive.

Grimmjow's wounds healed quickly, but his pride had been shattered at the hands of Ichigo. Inside of his quarters, Grimmjow couldn't contain his rage any longer. His veins popped out of his head, and his palms were bleeding because of how hard he was clenching his fist.

"Me… beaten by a damn Soul Reaper?" he asked himself. "What the hell is this? Damn him… that damn kid thinks he can make a fool out of me?! I am Grimmjow… I AM THE KING!" His rage boiled over, as he summoned his aura, and it transformed from white to golden. His eye color changed from light blue to green, and his hair turned golden. Grimmjow had broken through his barrier and ascended to Super Saiyan status.

Almost instantly, his old memories began to come flooding back, as Grimmjow felt a mixture of anger and joy. He was enraged that he was turned into a science experiment by Aizen and made to forget his origin, but he was also joyful that he was experiencing the moment he and Vegeta had dreamt of. Before he could relish in his moment any longer, Aizen had already begun to plot his next move.

Using Grimmjow's discovery as his inspiration, he decided to reopen his study of the remaining Saiyans. Although Grimmjow had a deep disdain for Aizen, he decided to hide his true feelings, electing to learn more about the potential for even greater power. As they unraveled the secrets of Universe 6 and 7 through the recordings of Goku and Vegeta, Aizen used the time to reawaken the Hogyoku, teach himself Instant Transmission, and track down the Super Dragon Balls, while Grimmjow continued to train to ascend past a normal Super Saiyan.

This led up to their encounters with the Saiyans on Earth, as Aizen used Grimmjow as a distraction to summon the Super Dragon Balls to resurrect the fallen Arrancar army. Grimmjow didn't care about being used as a part of a plot, or about the Arrancars being revived. As long as he got to prove his might in battle, he was satisfied. At some point, however, this too ended.

It was at Planet Sadala that the pure-blooded Saiyan came to a crossroads. Aizen had tasked him with absorbing the souls of the Saiyans on that planet, but it didn't feel right at all. It felt like he was seeing the destruction of his race, but this time it was at his own hands. He pleaded with his leader to spare the planet, to no avail. Grimmjow did the job, but he hated himself for it. The screams of his people as he sucked their souls away had haunted him. He sold out to a man that took everything from him, just as Frieza had before. The loyalty he felt that he owed in exchange for his powers was gone, and now the Espada had enough.

Grimmjow was impulsive, but he knew that impulse wouldn't be enough to stop Aizen, especially with loyal Espada like Ulquiorra around. After his mission on Sadala ended, he decided that he would bide his time and strike before Aizen could achieve godhood, just as Gin Ichimaru did before him. All he had to do was put on a show until February, and then he'd have his chance.

* * *

After plotting the ship's course back to Hueco Mundo, Grimmjow stood up and began walking back to his quarters. As he walked down the corridor, Nnoitra came walking in the opposite direction. Grimmjow bumped the 5th Espada and kept walking, but Nnoitra stopped and confronted Grimmjow.

"Is there a problem, number 6?" Nnoitra asked.

Grimmjow stopped. "I didn't have one till I saw your ugly ass."

"Damn Saiyan, how about I teach you little respect!"

Grimmjow turned around and looked at his fellow Espada with serious intent. "Nnoitra, if you don't choose your next words carefully, I will end your life, right now. Do you understand me?"

Nnoitra grunted, then turned to walk away, mumbling to himself, "Bastard."

Grimmjow turned and continued to walk to his quarters. When he finally arrived, he dropped to the floor and started to do one finger push-ups.

_Kurosaki, Vegeta, Aizen… all of them are gonna see. I'll make sure they all know that I'm the strongest. No one will ever be above me again. I am the predator. I am the king._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One more chapter before the juicy shit, I'm so hyped. Also I wanna say thank you to everyone for the reception of the last chapter, it honestly made me so inspired to keep writing (fanfiction did not reciprocate). As always, thanks for reading!


	11. Laugh Now, Cry Later

_Sometimes we laugh and sometimes we cry,_

_but I guess you know now, baby_

* * *

“Wait, so you guys don’t have Marvel either?” asked Ichigo as he, Trunks, and Orihime strolled down the sidewalk.

Trunks shook his head. “Nope. What’s that?”

“They make superhero comic books and now they’re turning them all into movies.”

“We don’t really have superhero movies, but Goten’s brother’s father-in-law is a super famous martial artist turned action star. All of the movies are trash, though.”

“Dude, you're missing out. There’s Spider-Man, Iron Man, Thor, and I heard Black Panther’s in the works, too.”

“Oh, oh!” Orihime bubbled. “We should all go see Dr. Strange!”

“Oh yea,” Ichigo replied. It just dropped in America, and since I got the hang of flying now, we should take the trip.”

“I’m down,” said Trunks. “As long as it’s not another musical like the one we watched with Yuzu.”

“Ahh, come on. Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory is a classic.”

“Well, that one song in there was catchy. You know, the one that goes…” Trunks started humming the tune, as Orihime and Ichigo filled in with the words.

“ _Come with me_ ,” Orihime sang.

Ichigo chimed in. “ _And you’ll be, in a world of pure imagination._ ”

Trunks clapped his hand in applause. “Bravo. Definitely gonna learn to play that on piano.”

“Why,” Ichigo asked. “So you can serenade-“

“You’re funeral. I’m going to play this at your funeral if you finish that sentence.”

“Hmm?” Orihime questioned, “You’re gonna serenade somebody?”

“No, no,” Trunks quickly blurted out. “By the way, Orihime, you guys make a great duet. You’d probably make an even better-“

“Okay, okay, quit it!”

“I can play the game just as well as you can.”

Orihime gave Trunks a curious look. “We’d make an even better what?”

Ichigo’s heart skipped a beat, as Trunks answered. “Oh, I was just gonna say that you guys would make even better bandmates. We should all start a band.”

Ichigo settled as Trunks communicated with him telepathically. _You like how I saved that?_

 _That’s the best you could do?_ Ichigo replied. _A band?_

Orihime’s face lit up with excitement. “Oooh, that would be so much fun! Ichigo could play guitar, Trunks can play the piano-“

“And you can sing,” Trunks said to her. “Goten can be our drummer and I’ll learn bass.”

The group turned the corner into the yard of Urahara’s store. “Well, what kind of genre are we going for?” Ichigo asked.

Trunks thought for a few seconds. “Umm… how about metal? Or maybe jazz… jazz metal, because I can’t imagine Orihime doing screams.”

“I can try a growl if you want,” Orihime said.

Ichigo cut the conversation. “How about we put a hold on our prog metal dreams and just go see the movie.”

The group approached the porch, where Jinta was sitting. Once they arrived, Jinta held up his hand to Trunks, revealing a white envelope.

“Special letter for Ichigo and Trunks,” Jinta grumbled.

Both of the boys raised their eyebrows. “For both of us?” Trunks asked. “Who’s it from?”

“I dunno, some Soul Reaper dropped it off.” After giving Trunks the letter, Jinta put his hands behind his head and laid back.

“Everything alright? Where’s Ururu?”

“At some stupid after school club.”

“So you’re just out here by yourself?”

“Just open the letter already.”

Trunks tore the top of the envelope open and pulled out a folded paper. He straightened it out and began to read it aloud.

“Dear Mr. Briefs and Mr. Kurosaki, my name is Shuhei Hisagi, Co-Lieutenant of Squad 9, as well as the Editor-in-Chief of the Seireitei Communication Monthly. We are currently planning for our December issue, and we’d like Son Goten and the both of you to be our feature article for the month, as well as the inaugural episode for our new radio program, _SeireiTalk with Shuhei Hisagi._ ”

* * *

“I would like to interview the three of you simultaneously on Friday, November 11th at 3 PM, lasting approximately 1-2 hours. If this time works for you, please reach out to me.”

Goten stopped reading the letter and looked to Toshiro. “Well if he’s inviting Ichigo, then why wouldn’t he invite you?”

“Probably because I was the feature of the November issue,” Toshiro answered. “And I also write a column for every month.”

“Okay, I guess I’ll go then. I’m not gonna lie, I’m kind of excited.”

Rangiku chimed in. “You should be, nobody’s gonna be able to keep their hands off of you after this.”

Goten chuckled. “You think so? Maybe I’ll find someone just like- ah shit, I forgot!”

“You forgot what?” Toshiro asked.

“I forgot to invite Soifon to the party!”

Toshiro smirked. “Yea, she’s a must-have there… a true party animal.”

“I’m all the party animal we need there. Besides, it would make Trunks’ day if she came.”

“That’s a big if you're banking on.”

“It’s a huge if,” Rangiku added. “Captain Soifon isn’t the type to do things for other people.” 

Goten smiled. “Don’t worry, I won’t take no for an answer.”

“Also,” Toshiro continued. “You’re fine with the interview being the day before the party?”

“Yea,” Goten replied. “Shouldn’t be a big deal, We still have plenty of time. November 11th is only… TOMORROW?!”

“Well, I guess we only have today and tomorrow to clear up all of the paperwork and train.”

Rangiku and Goten groaned. “But I just helped with paperwork yesterday,” Goten complained.

“Yes, and there’s more today, so let’s not waste time.”

Rangiku and Goten sighed as they mumbled, “Aye, aye, captain.”

* * *

“So what do you think?” Trunks asked Ichigo.

Ichigo smiled. “I think that Lieutenant just made the biggest mistake putting us all on a podcast together, his first podcast, too. Such a shame.”

“Should be fun. I’ll tell Kisuke to tell his squad for us.” Trunks took a step onto the porch, then stopped and turned to the red-headed child. “Hey, Jinta?”

“Whaaat?” he groaned.

“You doing anything today?”

“Ah you know, just partaking in my favorite hobby: cloud watching.”

“Do you like Marvel movies?”

Jinta sat up and looked at Trunks. “I’m listening…”

“You wanna come see Doctor Strange with us?”

Jinta’s eyes lit up. “Doctor Strange?! But that’s only out in North America right now.”

“Yea, well, we can fly, so let’s take the trip. You coming or not?”

“You’re damn right I’m coming!”

* * *

The next day, after completing mounds upon mounds of paperwork, Goten laid back in his chair and put his feet up on the desk he was working at. “Whew,” he thought aloud. “All done, and with…” He looked up at the clock on the wall as the time read 2:58. “No time, no time left to spare.”

He quickly got up and grabbed a folded up map of the Seireitei and ran towards the door. He exited the room as he put on one shoe and hopped on one foot while trying to slide the other on. Goten finally got it on and took off into the air, unfolding the map and trying to find his destination.

“So Squad 10 is here, and Squad 9 is-” Before he could physically pinpoint his location, he picked up two familiar energy signals. “Well, that makes it easier.” Goten flew quickly towards the signals and arrived above the Squad 9 barracks, where Ichigo and Trunks stood outside.

“Hey, you’re thirty seconds early,” Trunks joked. “I guess you’re excited for this.”

“Sorry, I’ve been budgeting and forging signatures for the past two days straight. My hand is all cramped up now.”

“Well,” Ichigo said. “Now that you’re here, you guys ready to hijack this radio show?”

“They’re not gonna have a better show than this one,” Goten responded as the group began to walk into the first building they saw. Once inside, they observed as a slew of Soul Reapers were moving rapidly from all sides of the room, holding multiple papers and files. The fast-paced environment combined with the constant keyboard keys clicking and speaking that filled the room confirmed with the group that they were in the right place.

“Is this a newspaper press or a stock exchange?” Ichigo asked.

Before Trunks or Goten could reply, a male Soul Reaper approached them. “You three can follow me this way,” he said as he turned and began walking away. The group followed as the man led them down a hallway and into a room with a large round table to their left. There were four office chairs at the table, and in front of each chair was a microphone, a pair of headphones, a glass of water. To the right of the door was a separate room with a large plexiglass window. This was the control room, where a man was tinkering with the plethora of sound equipment and monitors that filled the space.

The Soul Reaper opened the door to the separate room and said, “Lieutenant, the guests are here.”

“Perfect,” Shuhei replied. “I just finished setting up.” Shuhei exited the room and greeted his guests. “Thanks for coming on such short notice. We have a big schedule this month and we’re trying to get used to the new equipment.”

“We’re just happy to be here,” Goten said. “Thanks for having us.”

“So, are guys ready?”

The group nodded and they all sat down at the table as they put their headphones on. The Soul Reaper that guided them entered the control room and sat down. He looked at Shuhei and counted down with his finger starting from 5 before giving a thumbs up, signaling that the broadcast had started. 

“Helllooooo all you Soul Reapers and Souls alike,” Hisagi began. “You are listening to WSSS, the Soul Society station, and this is _SeireiTalk_. I am your host, Shuhei Hisagi, and thank you for joining us on our first ever episode. To kick off the program, I have three special guests with me today. The first I’m sure is a familiar name to most: the Substitute Soul Reaper from Karakura Town, Ichigo Kurosaki. The other two come from across the galactic pond, all the way from another universe, we have Trunks Briefs and Son Goten. With the introductions out of the way, I’d like to thank you guys for being here for our first show.”

“Thanks for having us on,” Trunks replied.

Goten chimed in with a question. “Thanks but um… what’s the rating for this?”

Hisagi looked confused. “What do you mean?”

“Like… how PG do we need to keep it? I can keep it PG, but I’m just curious.”

Shuhei looked at the man in the control room, who shrugged his shoulders, before answering, “Well, this is probably gonna air on daytime radio, so let’s try to keep it at least PG-13.”

“Okay, okay, just checking.”

“Wooow,” Ichigo said. “We’ve been on the air for 30 seconds and you already asked how wild you can get?”

“I just gotta know how clean I have to keep it, and I can do that for the moms and children. Speaking of moms, if any of you are single out there, I’ll be taking appointments after this interview at the Squad 10 barracks.”

Trunks and Ichigo burst into laughter. “And here we go,” Trunks said.

“Now we know we’re definitely not getting invited again,” Ichigo chuckled.

Goten turned towards Ichigo. “Ichigo, stop. You know you barely got on here in the first place.”

“Woaaaaahh,” Trunks jested. “It’s about to get hot in here.”

“So that’s something I wanted to ask you, Shuhei,” Ichigo said as he rotated his chair towards Hisagi. “Why is it that I’ve been busting my ass for the Soul Society and I can’t get on the paper, but now these two show up and you break out a bunch of new equipment for them?”

“Sounds like your salty to me,” Trunks said.

“I’m not salty!” Ichigo insisted. “I’m just asking.” 

“Well,” Shuhei replied. “We’ve always wanted to talk to you, but there was always something happening at the time-”

“See Ichigo,” Goten said. “They’re not making time for you, but they make time for us. You’re welcome.”

“I didn’t know we had official Haterade sponsors in the building,” Ichigo replied.

“Who’s hating, me? Couldn’t be, I could never.”

“I dunno, Goten,” Trunks said. “Sounds like you’re hating to me.”

“Trunks, you always do this. You just sit back, instigate, and smile.” Goten turned to Ichigo. “Has he done that to you yet?”

“Of course he has,” Ichigo replied. “Because he’s evil.”

“Damn, Trunks,” Goten continued. “Stop playing with me before I blow up your spot on the airwaves.”

“You wouldn’t,” Trunks responded.

Goten leaned forward towards the mic. “PFFFFFF! Say I won’t.”

Trunks turned his seat to the Lieutenant. “Lieutenant, can you get a hold of your show, please?!”

“I’ve lost all control of this show and it’s only been three minutes,” Shuhei responded. “But yes, I wanted to get through some questions with you guys. For Trunks and Goten, I wanted to start by asking what life is like in your universe.”

“You wanna answer that?” Goten asked Trunks.

“Uhh, sure,” Trunks replied. “We’re from Universe 7, and Universe 6 and 7 are mirror universes, so they’re pretty much the same. Goten and I were about to start college before we came here.”

“Were you both excited to come here and train with two of the most elite Soul Reapers the Soul Society has to offer?”

“Well, we were kept in the dark about who we would be training with, so definitely no. We got pulled from the last two weeks of our summer vacation and that really bummed us out, but if I could speak for the both of us, we wouldn’t trade this for the world.”

Goten nodded as Ichigo spoke. “Wow, that’s so sweet of you Trunks. I’m blushing over here.”

“I take it all back, he’s the worst.”

“And Ichigo,” Shuhei said. “How did you feel initially when you were told that you and Trunks were going to be training together?”

Ichigo paused before answering. “Well… I was pretty mad, I can’t lie. After the things that happened with Ginjo, I felt like it was another plot against me, but then Trunks and I talked and it turned out to be fine. Now we’re all pretty close-knit. Even when we don’t train, we just hang out, and we share the same kind of humor and interests so it works out.” 

“What are some of those interests that you all share?” Shuhei questioned.

“Um… well we like the same kind of music for the most part: alternative metal, old school and trap rap, some jazz. We like anime and movies, too, but we’re kind of split on those. And then we all like to play sports.”

“I’d just like to say that Goten was the nastiest running back in high school,” Trunks added.

“And I’d like to warn anyone listening,” Goten said. “If Trunks asks you to play ball and he says he’s not good, he’s lying, he’s absolutely filthy at ball, and you need to run.”

Ichigo sat forward in his chair. “Oh my god, this man got me so bad. The first time we played, he let me go up 5-0, and then he goes all Carmelo on me and wins 11-8.”

“It’s a bad habit of mine,” Trunks elaborated. “Goten and I used to go to the courts when we were like 14 and fool people that were a lot older than us. It was just kinda fun to see the reactions.”

“What about you, Shuhei?” Goten asked. “What are your hobbies?”

“I like being the editor of this newspaper,” Shuhei answered. “It’s very fulfilling for me to investigate a story and get multiple perspectives on the topic. I’m also saving to get a motorcycle I’ve been eyeing for years.”

“People have motorcycles here?” Ichigo asked.

“No, but someone has to be a trailblazer.”

“Speaking of a trailblazer,” Goten continued. “Is anyone in the Soul Society going to usher in the Digital Age in this place?”

“Oh boy,” Trunks mumbled.

“He couldn’t help himself,” Ichigo murmured.

“No, I think that’s a good point,” agreed Shuhei. “I think the Soul Society needs to keep up with the living world and update itself not only in the Research Department but in the rest of this place, too. The problem is that the old guard likes the structure the way it is.”

“Okay,” Goten said. “But let’s backtrack a little bit. I’m not even talking about just a digital renaissance or upgrade or whatever. We don’t even have beds: we sleep on the floor. I have dust allergies man, I can’t be on the floor. You guys brought us in here to slay your enemies but we can’t even get some elevated rest.”

Goten and Ichigo started snickering at Goten’s rant, but Goten was not having it. “You guys know it’s a fact,” he said to them. “I bet Ichigo has a bed.”

“Of course I do,” Ichigo answered.

“What do you mean of course? Sir, you are a minority here.” Goten turned his attention back to Shuhei as he sipped his water. “Toshiro’s gonna be so embarrassed when he hears this.”

“How’s that going for you?” Shuhei asked.

“Oh, it’s great. We definitely clashed heads a little in the beginning but now we’re over that… I think. By the way, Rangiku was talking about you.”

Shuhei’s body suddenly jolted and his eyes widened. “Wait, what?” 

“Uh oh,” Trunks chuckled.

Ichigo chimed in as he drank his water. “Got em.”

“What did she say, though?” Shuhei inquired.

Goten elaborated. “She was saying that the Women’s Association was debating whether or not your tattoo was for show or if you were telling everybody that you’re talented.”

Ichigo spat his water onto the ground and Trunks fell out of his chair as they both howled with laughter. Goten and Shuhei couldn’t contain their laughter, as Goten leaned back in his chair and joined the howling, and the Lieutenant put his head between his hands and shook his head. Even the man in the booth fell victim to a boisterous laughing spell.

“That’s it, it’s over, take it off the air,” Trunks said as he tried to catch his breath. “Goodnight, everybody!”

“You better watch your back,” Ichigo told Goten as he continued guffawing. “Kensei’s about to start looking for you.”

“They’re gonna kill me for this one,” Shuhei said as he attempted to control himself. “I don’t care, though. This is raw, it’s hilarious, and it’s everything I didn’t know this show needed until now.”

* * *

The interview lasted for another hour before Shuhei had the boys do a short photo shoot for the cover of the magazine. After they were done, they thanked Hisagi for the interview, and the Lieutenant promised he would have them back eventually. They exited the building and now walked down the streets of the Seireitei.

“I can’t believe that just happened,” Ichigo said. “Please tell me that wasn’t live.”

“Nah,” Goten answered. “I heard him say that they’re gonna hold it until December for when the magazine drops.”

“Hey, do you guys wanna hit the courts?” asked Trunks. 

“Do they even have courts here?” questioned Ichigo.

Trunks shrugged his shoulders. “Maybe we should ask somebody.”

“Well, what an unexpected coincidence,” Goten answered as he stopped walking. “I know the perfect person you can ask, Trunks.” Goten pointed to a large gate next to them. “I checked my map before, and it said that these were the Squad 2 barracks.”

“One day I’m going to torture you like this,” Trunks told Goten.

“Yea, yea, I’ll pencil that in for Nevuary 32nd. You’re here so you might as well say hi.”

Trunks groaned. “Alright, but please don’t fuck this up for me.”

“Nope, we’re both gonna stand over there and let you do your thing.” Goten and Ichigo walked away, as Trunks sighed and looked for a doorbell of some kind.

After a few seconds, he gave up. “It’s whatever guys, she’s probably busy anyway.”

“Ah, come on man,” Ichigo encouraged. Just fly over top real quick and find-”

Ichigo was cut off as the gate in front of them began to part. Trunks nearly jumped out of his skin as he heard a pair of voices from behind the door.

_Why-why me?_

“Wait, so I’m not picking anything up from the bakery?” A man asked.

“No, I’ve already told you that three times,” Soifon scolded. “Now for the fourth and final time, you’re going to the bakery and checking if the cake will be ready by-” Soifon stopped herself as she and her Lieutenant walked out to find Trunks standing right in front of them. She froze in place as her mouth dropped open.

“Tr-Trunks,” she stuttered. “What are you doing here?”

“Oh uh, hey,” Trunks stammered. “How’s is it going?”

“Hey Captain,” Omaeda inquired. “Is this the guy that-”

Before he could finish, Soifon turned and stomped on his foot, prompting Marechiyo to pick up his foot and start hopping in place on one leg. “OW! What was that for?!”

Soifon turned to her Lieutenant and whispered to him. “A little less talking and little more walking in the other direction, Omaeda.”

Omaeda began hobbling in the other direction. “Well, you didn’t have to be so mean,” he sniffled.

Soifon turned back to Trunks. “So uh, what are you doing here?”

“Oh,” he answered. “I was just uh- Ichigo, Goten, and I were doing an interview for the newspaper, and we just happened to walk down here, so I’d thought I’d just say what’s up.”

Soifon was listening, but most of her attention was drawn to Ichigo and Goten motioning for her to keep a tight lip. 

“Hm?” Trunks said as he noticed her looking away. “Something wrong?” Trunks turned around, but Ichigo and Goten changed their expressions to look normal.

“Hi, nice to see you,” Ichigo said.

“Great day we’re having,” Goten added.

Trunks turned back around. “Anyway-“

“Anyway,” Soifon blurted as she began walking away. “I need to leave.”

“Huh? Where you going?”

“It’s none of your business. Goodbye.”

Soifon disappeared, as Trunks turned to his friends with his head slumped. He sighed, then mumbled to himself, “I’ll take one execution on Sokyoku Hill to go, please.”

“Ah come on, bro,” Goten said as he put his hand on Trunks’ shoulder. “Don’t sweat it. Maybe she just has a lot going on today.” 

“Nothing a little ball can’t fix," added Ichigo. "You can’t go into your birthday tomorrow feeling down.”

Trunks sighed then picked up his head. “Alright, I’ll live. So are we playing 21 or are we running twos?”

The group began walking again. “Twos for sure,” Goten answered. “But who’s our fourth?”

“Let’s go ask Renji,” Ichigo suggested. “Maybe he knows where the courts are.”

“Okay, so it's me and Ichigo versus Trunks and Renji.”

“Hey!” Trunks exclaimed. “Who said you get to pick teams, and where we gonna get a ball from?”

* * *

The next day, Trunks, Ichigo, and Goten woke up early to all train together. After that, Ichigo revealed that he planned out a day for them: a trip around the world to see the wonders of the Universe 6 Earth. They toured Mt. Fuji, the Great Wall of China, the Pyramids in Egypt, Machu Picchu, the Eiffel Tower, and the Grand Canyon. Finally, they arrive in Los Angeles, where Ichigo surprised the three of them with tickets to a Kendrick Lamar concert. Goten didn’t know who he was, but Ichigo had played Trunks his 3 albums, and Trunks fell in love with them and was ecstatic to be seeing him live. During the concert, however, Ichigo left early, saying that he had to finish an assignment online due that night, so Trunks and Goten flew back to Karakura by themselves.

“Man,” Trunks awed. “Am I tripping, or was that amazing?”

“You’re not,” Goten reassured. “That… that was one of the best things I’ve ever seen live, but I was kinda thrown off by all of the white people in there saying the n-word.”

“Yea, that made me extremely uncomfortable.” Trunks paused a second before speaking again. “Hey, do you ever miss home?”

“I miss it every day. Why do you ask?”

“I dunno, it’s just that this place reminds me so much of it, and all the things we did today, I would’ve liked to do with my family.”

“It’s only temporary. Everything’s gonna be back to normal soon enough, and then the only thing we’ll be worrying about is classes.”

“Yea, I guess you’re right.”

“We’re gonna get everybody back, bro, but today’s not the day to worry about that. Let’s hurry back, though. Kisuke said he’s making something special for you tonight.”

“Thank god, I’m starving.” The two picked up their pace and landed back at Urahara’s shop. Trunks walked up to the porch and opened the door.

“SURPRISE! HAPPY BIRTHDAY, TRUNKS!”

“Oh, shit!” Trunks shouted as he jolted and glared at the group of people that stood in the room.

Ichigo came up to Trunks as he and Goten put their arms around his neck. “We gotcha good, huh?”

“Yea, just a little bit,” Trunks replied. He scanned the room and saw many familiar faces: Orihime, Chad, Uryu, Rukia, Jinta, Ururu, Tessai, Toshiro, Rangiku, Kisuke, Yoruichi, and Soifon were all there. “Wow, thank you guys so much.”

“Thank Goten, first,” Urahara said. “He’s the one that put this whole thing together.”

“I don’t deserve you guys,” Trunks said to his friends. “This is awesome.” 

“Well, the surprises don’t stop there,” Goten said. “We’ve got plenty of food and Rangiku brought all the alcohol. It’s gonna be a real party.”

“Uh oh, guess it’s gonna be one of those nights.”

The party started, and everyone was eating, socializing, and having a good time. While Goten was locked into a tequila duel with Rangiku, Trunks was conversing with Ichigo and Rukia, he Soifon exit the shop from his peripheral.

“Hey,” Ichigo whispered to Trunks. “Now’s your chance.”

“You think I should?” Trunks asked.

“Well, you shouldn’t feel pressured,” Rukia advised. “You might not get a better time than now.”

Trunks took a deep inhale and exhale before taking a sip of the drink in his hand. “Alright, can you hold this for me?”

Ichigo took the drink from Trunks and watched as his friend left them. “There he goes, all hopped up on liquid courage. Godspeed, Super Saiyan. Godspeed.”

“You know,” Rukia said. “You could learn a thing or two from him.”

“Rukia I’m playing something called the long game, so don’t give me any of that.”

* * *

Trunks opened the door and stepped outside to see Soifon sitting on the porch. She quickly turned around and met his gaze.

“Sorry,” he rapidly apologized. “I didn't mean to scare you.”

“Oh no, it’s okay,” she responded.

Trunks began to walk over to her. “So, whatcha doing out here?”

“I… needed some air. It was getting hot in there.”

He sat down next to her. “The party scene isn’t really much of your thing, is it?”

“Shouldn’t you be in there with all of your friends?”

“Well, I’m with one of my friends right now, so I think I’m okay.”

Soifon averted her eyes as Trunks continued. “Still haven’t answered my question, though.”

“I’m not much of a person for large gatherings, especially when I don’t know that many people there.”

“I’d say you know more than a few people in there.”

“Sure, but the only person I would talk to would be Lady Yoruichi, but she’s talking with Urahara, and I don’t want to be a bother.”

“Well… what about me?”

“What about you? You can hardly afford to spare time to talk to me with all of your guests in there.”

“I’m sparing time now, so I guess I’ll spare some more time.”

“That’s… very kind of you.” 

Soifon’s eyes returned to Trunks, who smiled at her. “By the way,” he asked as he looked down at a square box she was holding “What that in your hands?

“Oh, I almost forgot,” she blurted as she put her arms out to him. “It’s a birthday gift.”

“You got me a gift?” Trunks received the box and opened it up. Inside was a golden, round object with a small chain attached to it. He pushed a button on the side, and it opened up, revealing a clock. Trunks silently studied and marveled at the intricacies of his new pocket watch.

“You’re not saying anything. I knew I should’ve got something else.”

“No, I love it! I can’t believe you got me something this nice. Thank you so much!”

The two were interrupted by the door sliding open. Toshiro exited with a semi-conscious Rangiku over his shoulder. “Sorry if I’m interrupting you two, but you should probably go inside now. They’re putting candles on your cake.”

“Oh, thanks,” Trunks replied. “Is she gonna be alright?”

“Yea, this is normal.”

Rangiku tried to lift her head. “Did I do it, Captain?” she slurred. “Did I win?”

“Oh, you won, alright,” Toshiro answered.

“Yaaaaay…” she whispered before passing out.

Toshiro sighed. “Trunks, Captain, have a good night.”

They both said there goodbyes as Toshiro walked away. Trunks put the watch in his pocket as he stood up. “Guess we’ll talk more later.” 

Soifon nodded and stood up. They both walked in and were met with a roaring, but offkey happy birthday, as the cake sat on a table in the middle of the room with the 20 candles burning bright.

“Make a wish!” Orihime shouted.

Trunks approached the table and paused for a moment.

_I wish… I wish that life would be this good forever._

Trunks blew out the candles, then cut and plated the first slice of cake for himself. He walked back over to Soifon and put his finger in the icing of the cake.

“Don’t even think about it,” she said. “I’ll make that finger another birthday candle.”

“Yea, yea, yea,” he replied. “Spare me the empty threats.” She tried to avoid it, but Trunks smeared her nose with frosting, which drew a laugh out of everyone else but Soifon. She growled, but then controlled herself. While Trunks looked away, she tapped his opposite shoulder. He looked in that direction and was met with the piece of cake. Soifon folded her arms and looked away, but then Trunks started laughing, which infectiously caused her to giggle as well.

Ichigo, who stood in front of them, quickly pulled out his phone, took a picture of them, and showed it to Rukia. 

“Now that’s a rare sight,” Rukia said.

Ichigo smiled. “It’s something to hold onto, you know, for the future wedding.”

  
  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one was fun to write. Who knew one the longest chapter would be one without action. I just hope the format for this one is digestible.  
> Couple of things that I've changed since last time because I realized I'm a shitty writer and idk how anybody's still reading:  
> I stopped being an idiot and changed Soi Fon to Soifon  
> fixed a lot of grammatical and punctuation errors in previous chapters  
> tagged the pairing, why not, right?
> 
> Anyway, thanks for reading, and next chapter... we get to that gooood shit :)


	12. Shower in the Dark Day

_Shower in the dark day_

_Clean sparks diving down_

_Cool in the waterway_

_Where the baptized drown_

_Naked in the cold sun_

_Breathing life like fire_

_Thought I was the only one_

_But that was just a lie_

_'Cause I heard it in the wind_

_And I saw it in the sky_

_And I thought it was the end_

_And I thought it was the fourth of July_

* * *

The day was Sunday, February 11th, and for the past three months, Ichigo and Trunks had constantly battled each other under augmented gravity. Both of them had been making incredible progress, especially Ichigo, but there was still one issue they were desperately trying to fix: Trunks had still not attained Bankai.

With only two weeks until their battle with the Arrancar, Trunks was in distress, but Ichigo tried to keep him optimistic. It was noon, and the two were waiting for Soifon to emerge from the gravity room, so Ichigo suggested that they play some baseball with Jinta in the front yard to pass the time.

Trunks stood 60 feet from Jinta with a baseball in his right and a glove in his left. "You ready, big guy?"

Jinta gripped the handle of his bat and brought it behind his head. "Bring it!" he demanded. Ichigo squatted behind him with his glove extended from his body, ready to play catcher. Trunks brought his feet together and brought the ball and his glove together. He raised his front leg before extending it out to the ground while simultaneously raising his arm behind him. He flung his arm forward and shot the ball out of his hand. Jinta took a step with his front leg before swinging with all his might.

"Swing and a miss," Ichigo remarked as he caught the ball. "Hanakari strikes out, and the Yankees lose Game seven of the World Series."

"Dammit!" Jinta yelled. "Why the hell can't hit anything today?"

"You're getting a little jumpy," Trunks answered. "If you sit back and wait on it, you'll be blasting these babies into orbit."

Ichigo stood up straight from the ground. "You mind if we take a break, though? My knees need a breather."

"I second that," Trunks agreed as he walked towards them. "I must've thrown 100 pitches by now."

Jinta grunted. "Ah, give me a break. All you guys wanna do is talk about girls."

"Not really," Ichigo replied. "But how about we take ten to talk, and you take ten to get your mind right. Go get some water, settle down, and then we'll get back to it."

Jinta rolled his eyes and threw his bat over his shoulder. "Fine. When we start again, I'm putting the first ball right between your eyes, Trunks."

"I'll look forward to it," Trunks replied as Jinta turned around and walked inside.

Ichigo turned towards Trunks and asked, "So, are you gonna do it?"

Trunks shook his head. "I dunno, man. I think I should wait till after we beat Aizen."

"Yea, but tomorrow's her birthday, and you haven't made a move since your birthday. Just ask her if she would wanna go out to eat or something, and then give her your gift."

Trunks sighed as he began feeling butterflies in his stomach. "Oh god, I can't do it. What am I gonna do if she says no?"

"She's not gonna- well maybe, but you'll never know unless you try."

"Thanks, that's very encouraging. I'd rather not know than be shot down."

"I know but… okay, how about I cut you a deal. You ask Soifon out, and… I'll ask Orihime out, too."

"Ichigo, why are you so pressed about this? Don't we have other things to worry about like, I dunno uh, Bankai?!"

"You'll get your Bankai one way or the other, I'll promise you that, and I'm not pressed. It's just that you really like her, and I don't want you to miss your chance and regret it."

"I guess but… you know what, fine. If you guys will finally leave me alone about it, then I'll do it. Plus it'll be fun to see you when the shoe is on the other foot."

"By the way, I've never asked this before but, what is it that you like about her, anyway? I'm not saying there's nothing to like about her, but I'm just wondering."

Trunks thought for a second. "Um, well, I think she's beautiful, and she's strong and independent. She's kinda stubborn sometimes, but-"

Trunks stopped himself as the sliding door to Urahara's shop opened. Nerves attacked his entire body, as Soifon stepped out of the door and looked down at Trunks' shocked facial expression. "Hm?" she questioned. "What the hell are you looking at?"

 _Oh, thank god she didn't hear that._ Trunks thought. _I almost shit myself._ Trunks got a hold of himself and tried to play it cool. "Yea, sorry, you just scared me."

Soifon closed the door behind her and hopped off of the porch. "Hmph. The chamber's all yours."

"How was it? You were in there a little longer than usual."

"It was productive. I wanted to stay longer, but I know you two have been waiting."

"Oh no, it's fine. You could've stayed as long as you wanted. Do you think you'll be ready in two weeks?"

"That's the goal, and what about you?"

"Well, I still have some work to do, but hopefully I'll be okay."

Soifon started walking away. 'You better get to it then."

Ichigo nudged Trunks and motioned for him to do what they had discussed prior. Trunks took a quick inhale and exhale before calling out to her. "Soifon, wait! There was something I wanted to ask you."

Soifon stopped and turned around. "What is it?"

Trunks' heart nearly leaped out of his chest. His palms started to feel clammy, and whatever nerves he felt before were magnified to even greater heights, causing him to stutter and stumble over his words. He tucked his hands in his pockets and smiled at the ground. "Well, I just, um- I wanted to uh-I wa-was gonna ask you if, uh-"

Ichigo put his hand in front of his face to keep from hurling out a laugh. _I think Trunks.exe stopped working,_ he telepathically told his friend. _Dude, please get this over with, I don't think I can hold out much longer._

Trunks ignored him, but Soifon was confused. "Are you okay?" she asked. "You sound like you're choking."

Ichigo turned around and suppressed his laugh to a snicker, as Trunks continued to attempt to get any words out. "Oh yea, I-I'm fine," he replied. He took another deep breath and did his best to settle himself. "I, um, wanted to know if you were doing anything tomorrow."

"Besides coming here and clearing up some paperwork, there's nothing special happening tomorrow. Why do you ask?"

"Well, it's just that- well, tomorrow's your birthday, so I wanted to ask you if you would like to-" Trunks was about to propose his plans to her, but he was interrupted by an intense sensation. The nerves in his body were replaced by a feeling of external pressure and internal dread. Ichigo and Soifon sensed it as well, and they turned themselves towards the feeling.

"What the hell is that?" Trunks asked. "Is that Aizen, or an Espada?"

"I can't tell," Soifon answered. "But it's coming from downtown Karakura."

"But what are they- Ichigo we have to go, now!" Trunks turned back towards Soifon. "Get back to the Soul Society and tell them what's going on."

Soifon glared at Trunks and objected. "Kisuke can take care of that. I'm coming with you."

"No! We don't know how powerful they are and we can't risk turning this into an all-out battle, especially not with that many people around."

Ichigo pulled out his combat pass and thrust it into his body, transforming into his Soul Reaper form as he left his body on the ground. "Trunks, come on, we gotta get going!" Trunks nodded, and the two of them powered up their aura soared into the downtown area.

As Soifon watched them fly off, she clenched his fist and gritted her teeth. "Asshole," she mumbled. "You think I've been training all this time just to be sidelined?!"

* * *

The boys quickly made their way into the city and landed on a rooftop to scout the area. The streets were bustling with cars and bikers while the sidewalks were overflowing with pedestrians walking back and forth.

"Dammit!" Trunks exclaimed as he frantically looked to his left and right. "They hid their energy."

Ichigo's eyes bounced in all directions looking for anything out of the ordinary. "They couldn't have gotten that far-" Ichigo stopped as he lifted his head and found someone in the distance. "Hey, look!"

"Look where?!" Trunks raised his eyes and his body stiffened as he saw what Ichigo was talking about. Two men stood in the middle of an intersection, smirking up at Trunks and Ichigo. One of them was a tall, slender man with long black hair and a large Zanpakuto on his back that looked like two crescents attached. The other was a man with dirty blonde hair and an eyepatch over his right eye.

"That's one of the Espada, right?" Trunks asked.

Ichigo, recognizing who the man was, quickly answered. "Nnoitra. I'm pretty sure that's his Fracción with him."

"Let's get down there and move this somewhere else."

Ichigo nodded, and the two jumped high up into the air and landed in the middle of the intersection, facing the two Arrancar. Contrary to the two that stood in front of them, Trunks and Ichigo were on edge, both not knowing what their enemy was doing in there, or why they chose downtown Karakura to make an appearance. Either way, their priority was to lead them out of the city without any incidents.

"You finally decided to come," Nnoitra said as he continued grinning at Trunks and Ichigo. "Now we can get the show started."

"Hold on," Trunks demanded. "This isn't the place for us to talk, let alone fight. I'm sure there are some deserted islands close to here that'll be better for us."

"No," Nnoitra quickly replied. "I'm fine with staying right here, but I can clear up some space if you'd like."

"We're not gonna fight you here," Ichigo declared. "There's no reason to have all these people-" Ichigo was interrupted by traffic resuming in the intersection. The boys jumped back to avoid the oncoming cars, while the sound of horns became deafening. Trunks reminded himself that he was the only one there that was visible to normal people, as some drivers rolled down their windows to give him a piece of their mind.

"Get out of the road, dumbass!"

"The rehab center's down the road, you bum!"

Trunks ignored this, but he suddenly noticed that Nnoitra and his accomplice still stood in the middle of the road as a bus was quickly approaching them. Before Trunks or Ichigo could warn him, the bus crashed into Nnoitra's back, but the Espada was unmoved, leaving a large imprint on the vehicle.

Nnoitra's grin slowly turned into a frown as his Fracción turned to him and asked, "Master Nnoitra, shall I clear the area?"

"Yes, Tesla," the Espada answered. "We shall."

Nnoitra stuck out his tongue and the tip began to emit a yellow glow, while Tesla's left eye began to glimmer red. Trunks and Ichigo saw this happen, but before they could react, the two emitted a Cero at the buildings behind the boys. The two of them turned around in horror as a group of skyscrapers behind them exploded. They both turned around to find Ceros being shot at them, which they quickly tried to deflect into the air. Unfortunately, they could not react fast enough, as Nnoitra turned his back and shot a Cero through the bus and into the densely populated area, causing it and another set of skyscrapers to blow up.

The Arrancars fired a few more Ceros each before Trunks finally broke through. "STOP IT!" he bellowed out as he raced towards Nnoitra and punched him in the back of the head. Nnoitra stumbled for a few steps before turning to face Trunks and glare at him.

Tesla's eye stopped glowing as he turned to his superior. "Master Nnoitra! Are you-" Before he could finish, he was met with a fist to his cheek by Ichigo. Tesla fell back several feet, with his back digging into the pavement.

"Damn you!" Ichigo shouted as he stared down the Fracción with fire and fury in his eyes. "Why the hell would you do something like this?!"

Trunks drew his sword and prepared to fight. Nnoitra, seeing that Trunks was seething with intense rage, began smiling. "Now there's no more distractions and no more of those annoying humans to get in our way."

Buildings glowed orange around them, as the heat intensified and smoke billowed into the sky. City blocks and sidewalks had been destroyed, while civilians were screaming and trampling over each other to find any means of escape. Innocent bodies laid silent and scattered. The worst-case scenario had now become the current scenario, and the landscape was beyond Trunks' and Ichigo's worst nightmares.

Nnoitra turned his head towards the people who frantically attempted to run. "Oh look, a few loose ends."

As Nnoitra stuck out his tongue, Trunks powered up to Super Saiyan and charged him with Zangetsu. Nnoitra quickly pulled out his Zanpakuto and blocked Trunks' multiple sword slashes before jumping into the air to escape. "RAAAHH!" Trunks shouted as he chased down his enemy.

Ichigo drew his Zangetsu from his back and prepared to take on Tesla, but he suddenly felt a hand on his shoulder as a voice spoke from behind him.

"How about you take me on instead?"

The hair all over Ichigo's body stood up, as almost instantly recognized the voice. However, Ichigo got a hold of himself and horizontally slashed his back without looking. He didn't hit anything, but he turned around as the enemy somersaulted into the air and landed some yards away from him.

The man grinned. "Still as sharp as ever, Kurosaki."

"Grimmjow… of course he sent you, too. So you were hiding this entire time?"

The Sixth Espada put his hand in his pockets. "I was waiting until their fight got started so we could have another one on one."

Ichigo grunted. "Why the hell are you guys even here!? To kill all of these innocent people? To destroy Karakura Town just for fun?"

"I didn't destroy your precious town. You're gonna have to take that up with those dimwits over there. I'm only here to settle the score and beat you till you're unconscious."

"Dammit… DAMN ALL OF YOU!" Ichigo's spiritual pressure began to rapidly leak from his body, as Grimmjow's smile only deepened.

"Oh, I'm gonna enjoy kicking the shit out of you this time. Hurry up and get your Bankai out so I can show you how weak you are."

Ichigo's spiritual pressure intensified, as rage took over his rational. "YOU WANT IT? YOU GOT IT!" Ichigo swung his sword to the front of his body and shouted, " **BAN, KAI!"**

Ichigo's spiritual pressure erupted as he transformed into his Bankai state. As the glow from his spiritual pressure disappeared, Ichigo appeared in front of Grimmjow and punched in his stomach. Grimmjow leaned over and coughed up blood, before feeling his cloak tighten around his neck. Ichigo grabbed the Espada's shirt and launched him into the air. As his enemy soared into the air, Ichigo thrust his spiritual pressure into his Zanpakuto and yelled out, "GETSUGA, TENSHOUU!" as he flung his attack at the Espada.

Grimmjow quickly recovered and slightly pulled out his Zanpakuto from his side to cut his pointer finger on before bringing his hand forward. "GRAN REY CERO!" he shouted as he shot a massive blue beam from his hand. However, it was unable to repel the full power of the Getsuga Tenshou, and the ensuing explosion occurred right in Grimmjow's face. As the smoke filled the air, Grimmjow flew out to try to get his bearings, but Ichigo appeared right beside him and threw a kick at his ribcage. Grimmjow was able to block it but was still sent flying in the other direction.

Ichigo quickly inverted them grip on his blade and brought the outside of his hands together and behind him. "GALICK GUN!" Ichigo thrust his hands forward as a large, fuschia-colored energy wave emanated from his hands and body.

Grimmjow stopped himself and smiled. "Well, look who learned the family technique." Grimmjow brought his hands together and fired off a Galick Gun of his own, causing the beams to clash and detonate in the sky.

 _What the hell?_ Ichigo asked himself as he tried to catch his breath. _Did he just use a Galick Gun? How would he even-_

Ichigo's thoughts were interrupted as a massive amount of spiritual pressure came from the smoke and overwhelmed him. _No way! Grimmjow's putting out that much energy?_

The smoke from the previous explosion started to swirl around Grimmjow before dissipating and revealing the cause of Grimmjow's power increase: a new form. His hair had grown longer and turned white with black bangs, and his shirt and Hollow mask had disappeared. His body now sported black tattoos, and he had white fur from his torso to his calves. His claws on his feet and hands became black, and his forehead, eyes, tail, and scar all emitted blue spiritual pressure. "Allow me to introduce you to my new form," he said. "This is my Ressurrección: Segunda Etapa."

Ichigo froze as Grimmjow completed his sentence. Segunda Etapa was the form he thought was only exclusive to Ulquiorra, the form that had made him suffer one of the most excruciating beatdowns in his life, and it was the form that almost took his life. The memories of that battle came flooding back and brought visible fear to Ichigo. Grimmjow, seeing Ichigo stunned at his new power, smirked and began his assault.

* * *

Meanwhile, Trunks was still locked in battle with Nnoitra and kept his opponent on the defensive. Trunks had sensed that Ichigo had immediately released his Bankai, but Trunks still had enough restraint to know that he could not unleash his full power in the city. However, he was able to push Nnoitra back and even land some blows on him, which angered the Espada.

"Bastard!" the Espada yelled as he continued to block Trunks' sword attacks. "Don't think you're going to defeat me like this!"

Trunks responded as he continued to increase the pressure on his enemy. "You murderer! I'll make you pay for what you di-" Before he could finish, Trunks felt a massive spiritual pressure near Ichigo. _Shit! Ichigo's fighting somebody that strong?_

Trunks snapped back into battle but was caught off guard by a red blast coming from the ground. He dodged it, but Nnoitra seized the opportunity, using his Sonido to rapidly appear behind Trunks and put him in a headlock.

Nnoitra tightened his grip on the Saiyan as he scolded his accomplice on the ground. "Your assistance was unnecessary, Tesla!"

Tesla bowed his head to his superior. "My apologies, Master."

The Espada's expression soon changed from a scowl to a cold grin as he addressed Trunks. "It was an inevitability with or without his help. You were bound to end up like this."

Trunks tried to free his throat from Nnoitra's forearm with his hand, but he then felt a fist thrust into his spine, causing him to yelp out in pain. Nnoitra began laughing. "I'm sorry, but what happened to all that talk about making me pay?" The Espada continued to maniacally laugh and punch a helpless Trunks in his back.

Nnoitra stopped his attacks and prepared to finish Trunks off. "Now turn to ash, like these pathetic ants." Nnoitra stuck out his tongue and charged his Cero.

 _Damn,_ Trunks thought. _Guess I don't have a choice._

Before either one of them could make a move, Nnoitra was suddenly kicked in his face, causing him to soar towards the ground and crash into Tesla. Both of them became buried in the pavement as the ground rumbled. Trunks looked beside him, and just as he expected, he saw Soifon standing next to him in the air.

"Thanks for the save," Trunks said to her. "And nice kick."

Soifon, still looking down at her enemies, replied, "You can keep your thanks. You didn't want me here in the first place."

"I thought we would be okay on our own, but as you can see, the situation's changed."

"Let's end this quickly, then."

"I'll take the Espada, and you take his Fracción."

"I'll kill the Fracción, and then we both kill Espada Five, and then we can help Kurosaki deal with Espada Six."

Their attention was drawn back to the Arrancar on the ground, as they emerged from the rubble with their clothes torn. Both of them disappeared and reappeared in front and behind of Trunks and Soifon. The Saiyan and the Soul Reaper Captain stood back to back, as they prepared to battle their enemies.

"That was a big mistake, Captain," Nnoitra told Soifon. "I'll take your life for that."

Trunks powered up to Super Saiyan 2. "You won't even get past me to try it." Trunks and Nnoitra stared at each other for a few seconds before disappearing to resume their clash.

Soifon and Tesla continued to stare each other down until Soifon smirked and broke the silence. "What's wrong?" she asked. "Are you afraid?"

Tesla bared his teeth at her and answered. "How dare you harm Master Nnoitra. I'll cut you down for your insolence." Tesla used a Sonido to get behind Soifon with his sword high in the air, ready to slice her. However, he was met with a spinning back to his jaw and a fist to his opposite cheek that sent him flying in the air. Tesla regained his footing, but then lost sight of his enemy.

"Looking for me?" Soifon asked from behind him. Tesla quickly turned around and slashed his sword, but missed completely, as Soifon Flash Stepped behind him again.

Tesla became increasingly frustrated. "Damn you, JUST STAY STILL!" He charged at her again with a flurry of swings and slices, but the Stealth Force leader dodged every attack with ease. The Arrancar then thrust his sword towards her chest. Soifon sidestepped the attack and caught his blade between her thumb and index fingers. She smirked at him again but stopped when she saw his uncovered eye start to glow red. Right before Tesla fired off his Cero, Soifon threw a right uppercut to his jaw, causing him to lift his head and fire his attack into the sky. As he continued to fall back, Soifon jumped up and hit him with a punch that broke his nose. Tesla was sent flying away from her as the Captain continued her pursuit.

Trunks and Nnoitra were still engaged in battle, but Trunks had now gained a significant advantage after increasing his power. The Espada tried to swing his sword upwards at Trunks, but the Super Saiyan dodged the attack and pushed Nnoitra back with an energy air push. Nnoitra recovered but turned his head to see his underling being pummeled by Soifon.

"HAAAA!" Trunks shouted as he charged towards the Espada and landed a punch on his jaw before throwing a knee to his abdomen. Nnoitra doubled over in pain, as Trunks elbowed him in the back, causing him to crash into the ground. Trunks touched down and walked over to him. "Don't worry. He won't last much longer, and at this rate neither will you."

Nnoitra gave Trunks a furious glare as the Saiyan approached him. However, he heard something behind that changed his expression. He faintly heard a group of people behind him, and that was all he needed to formulate a plan. He smiled at Trunks, who was confused, but quickly understood when he saw the bystanders for himself. Nnoitra quickly turned his head and stuck his tongue out.

"Oh no!" Trunks shouted as he quickly flew over to the people. Nnoitra fired a Cero directly at them, but Trunks was able to make it in time. Standing at a good distance from the civilians and withdrawing his Zanpakuto, he put his hands in front of him and let out a yell, challenging the blast head-on. Trunks took the full force of the Cero, as it exploded in his face.

Nnoitra, however, used the opportunity to launch a surprise attack. Using his Sonido, he teleported into the air behind Soifon and used his Zanpakuto to make an upwards diagonal slash into her back. She cried out in agony as the Espada proceeded to grab her by her hair and pull her into to punch her in her stomach. He let her go, and as she fell from his hands, he backhanded her, causing her to fall towards the earth.

"Tesla!" Nnoitra shouted to his underling.

"Yes, Master!" he replied as his eye glowed crimson. Nnoitra stuck his tongue out and the two of them simultaneously fired a Cero. The two attacks twirled and combined, creating an orange and even larger beam headed straight for Soifon. However, something flew between them at the last second and shielded her from the impact and ensuing explosion.

Nnoitra's maniacal laugh made its return. "What a fool!" he proclaimed. "He threw himself in front of the blast for that Soul Reaper? How dumb can he-"

"NYUUUH!" From the smoke of the Cero came an energy blast headed straight for Nnoitra. He deflected and watched as Trunks fell to the ground, powered down to his base form with Soifon in his arms.

Trunks stumbled as he landed on the pavement. His jacket was tattered, and his right ribcage and back were bloodied and tender. Because he rushed in front of the Cero without putting up any defenses, his remaining energy was cut in half, but this was the least of his worries. He looked down at his ally in his arms, unconscious with her head slumped away from him. He could feel her blood pouring down his arms and his desperation mounted.

_No… please, just hang on for a little bit longer._

Before Trunks could try to think of an escape, a yellow blast came from overheard. He was able to run and avoid it, but then a red Cero came hurling at him. Trunks ran in the opposite direction until yet another Cero came down. Nnoitra and Tesla continued to chase Trunks down with their blasts, as Trunks did his best to run from the blasts without tripping on any debris.

"AHAHAHA!" Nnoitra hollered. "YES! DANCE, MONKEY. DANCE!"

The Saiyan continued to flee from the attacks with all of his might until he found himself backed against a burning building. Nnoitra smiled as he and Tesla prepared to fire their final Cero. "Now, say goodbye." They both fired a Cero at Trunks, which combined into an orange energy ball.

With no more options and little time left, Trunks summoned his sword and gathered the rest of his remaining energy.

"GETSUGA, TEN-"

As he brought his blade forward to launch his attack, a blue energy beam struck the Cero from the side and diverted it into the sky. Trunks was perplexed, but suddenly, a familiar ally appeared in front of him.

"Go-Goten!" he stuttered. As he said this, Captain Hitsugaya dropped out of the sky and landed next to him. Both Goten and Hitsugaya turned to look at Trunks, and their eyes widened as they observed Soifon's condition.

"I'll cover you," Goten quickly told Trunks. "Get her to Kisuke, now!" Without another word, Trunks immediately flew into the air and left for Urahara's shop as fast as he could.

The Arrancar landed in front of Goten and Toshiro, preparing to face them. Toshiro drew his sword, as Goten shouted and powered up to Pseudo Blue. "Let's go," he told them with intensity and rage in his voice.

Before they could begin their showdown in the inferno, however, Grimmjow, in his base form, landed beside Goten, holding something in each hand. "Excuse me," he asked as he held up his right hand. "Would you mind taking this for me?"

Goten and Toshiro gasped, as they saw Grimmjow holding up a tattered, beaten-down, and unconscious Soul Reaper by his white sash, while his other hand held a black blade.

Goten became visibly distraught as he saw his friend. His voice trembled as he muttered out, "No… Ichigo?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oooh I wanted to write way way more but it would've been too long. As always, thanks for reading, and if you enjoy it, don't hesitate to let me know!


	13. Phoenix

_It was gone in a moment, it went in a blaze_

_I felt so helpless, being so far away_

_A skeleton frame, holding my memories_

_Cause God only knows just what's ahead of me_

_Everything's been taken away from me, now I don't believe it_

_When everything that you had just sweeps aside_

_You rise like the Phoenix to fly_

* * *

Ichigo Kurosaki’s silent body drooped down from Grimmjow’s extended hand. The Soul Reaper’s shihakusho had vanished from the upper half of his body while the lower half was torn in several places. His arms and back were striped with wounds and fresh blood that dripped to the hot pavement. Grimmjow held Ichigo and his Bankai, with only a few scratches and tears in his uniform to show as battle scars. 

Goten and Hitsugaya were paralyzed as they saw what had become of Kurosaki. He had been training constantly with Trunks for 5 and a half months and had even closed some of the power gaps between them, but now it appeared that he had been defeated with ease. The pressure began to build on the Captain and the half-Saiyan, as they were not only surrounded and outnumbered, but they were also outclassed. 

“Here,” Grimmjow said as he swung his arm backward before tossing Ichigo to Goten. “Catch!” Goten caught Ichigo in both of his arms and quickly threw him over his shoulder. He looked up, and seeing his Tensa Zangetsu in mid-air, extended his hand to catch it.

“He’ll live,” Grimmjow assured Goten. “It’s nothing that his girlfriend can’t fix.” What he said was true. Goten could still feel Ichigo’s energy even though it was greatly diminished. As soon as he knew his friend would be okay, Goten turned his attention back to his enemy. Grimmjow, however, turned to his fellow Espada and spoke. “Nnoitra, let’s go.”

Goten and Hitsugaya couldn’t believe their ears, while Nnoitra immediately challenged him. “What!? Why would we leave now when we have them right where we want them?”

“For starters, we’ve more than completed our mission, and don’t you think you’ve already had enough? I mean, come on, you’re Fracción looks like he’s been through a fucking meat grinder, and you’re not looking too well yourself.”

“Hmph, I was trying to leave my Resurrección as a surprise.”

Grimmjow walked over to his allies and opened up the Garganta. “Then how about we leave it at that. Now let’s go.” 

Nnoitra grunted but reluctantly walked into the portal with Tesla. Before he left, however, he turned to his enemies and smiled. “Congratulations, you get to live another day. Enjoy it, because you don’t have many left,” Nnoitra then turned and walked out of sight with Tesla. Grimmjow followed suit until he was stopped by Captain Hitsugaya.

“Wait!” he cried out. 

Grimmjow turned around and faced Toshiro. “Hm? What the hell do you want, short stack?”

“What exactly was your mission? Did you come here to scare us? To cause destruction and spread fear?”

Grimmjow smiled and answered. “It was a test. We came to see you how powerful our opponents would be, and if I’m being honest with you, anyone at Kurosaki’s level and below shouldn’t bother coming to fight us, especially him. Aizen would slaughter him the minute he laid eyes on him. The city was just collateral, nothing more than Nnoitra being impulsive.” Grimmjow turned and began walking away. “You have two weeks left, so I suggest you make them count, because if you stay at the level you’re at right now, you’re as good as dead. See you in Hueco Mundo.”

The Garganta shut, and Goten was trapped in thought at what had just transpired. _All of this was just to test us? How could they do this and just leave-_

“Goten!” Toshiro yelled. Goten immediately snapped out of it and swiveled his head to Toshiro. “Get Ichigo to safety and then get back here!”

Goten nodded, but before he took off, he heard a combination of honking and sirens in the distance. “Clear a path for the emergency vehicles and then try to fight the fires!” Toshiro nodded as Goten raced into the sky to Urahara’s shop.

* * *

Meanwhile, Trunks bolted towards Urahara’s using all of the energy he could muster. In his arms, he could feel Soifon’s body growing colder as her skin started to look paler. He tried to use his arm to put pressure on her wound and stop the bleeding, but he felt that the cut was too large and deep for him to do anything. Trunks pleaded with her to hang on as her life continued to slip away.

_No… please. You can’t… I won’t let you… DAMMIT!_

Trunks finally arrived above the shop, and as he saw Urahara outside with Yoruichi, he cried out to him. “KISUKE!” He landed in the yard and ran towards them as fast as he could. “She needs help!”

Kisuke immediately ran inside and called out to Tessai, but Yoruichi was taken aback when she saw her former subordinate. She only managed to whisper out, “Oh my god,” before she got a hold of herself and ran inside behind Trunks. They put her on the floor and laid her to her side. While Yoruichi held her in front, Trunks quickly took off his jacket and tried to use it to stop the bleeding. Finally, Tessai hurried out with a tray of medical equipment, and Trunks and Yoruichi stood up to get out of his way. 

Trunks watched from above, but his anxiety only continued to grow. Soifon’s condition wasn’t improving, and he felt her energy only weakening as her body went into shock. He began to panic. There was a chance that Tessai couldn’t save her in time, but there was still hope. He knew there was only one person that could guarantee her survival now.

“She’s not gonna make it!” He blurted out. “We need Orihime!” Trunks tried to sprint out of the door, but Yoruichi grabbed his arm and pulled him back.

“No!” She exclaimed. “I’ll go find her. You need to get back there and help.”

“I will but… I can’t just leave her-“

“GET BACK TO THE CITY, NOW!” Kisuke shouted.

Trunks jolted. He never heard Urahara’s voice go beyond its normal, calm sound: he didn’t even think it was capable. He had been yelled at before by his father, but to have it come from someone as cool and collected as Kisuke made the 20-year-old feel as if he had truly let him down. However, Trunks knew that Kisuke was right. There were hundreds of people that needed him, and they needed him more than Soifon did.

Trunks backed down and Yoruichi let go of his arm. “I won’t let her die,” she told him. “I swear.”

Trunks nodded and took one more look at Soifon. He squeezed his hands, then sprinted out of the door. Once he exited, he took to the air and flew back to downtown Karakura as fast as he could.

The half Saiyan’s head was racing with images of everything that had occurred in the minutes since the encounter. Scenes of dead bodies, civilians screaming in terror, Soifon’s blood being spilled, and Nnoitra’s smug grin circulated in his mind one after another. However, he was suddenly interrupted by someone flying towards him. Within a second, the two flew parallel to each other, and Trunks saw Goten holding a battle-worn Ichigo, heading in the direction that he just came in. They passed each other without a word or even the turn of a head. 

As much as Trunks wanted to lose himself in negative thoughts, he knew that he needed to stay focused. As he arrived back into the downtown area, he saw Toshiro in the sky using Hyorinmaru to combat the fires, while the firefighters tried to battle the flames on the ground. Trunks landed on the ground and began running into the first building that he sensed an energy signal inside. The rescue workers on the ground yelled for him to stop, but Trunks tuned them out as he entered a burning apartment.

As Trunks ran through the doorway, he sensed that there were only a few people left in the building. He called out to try to pinpoint exactly where they were. “HELLO, CAN YOU HEAR ME?” he called out. He found a staircase and started to sprint up it. The steps began to collapse under him and debris from the ceilings began to fall, but the Saiyan stayed on course. After climbing a flight of stairs, he could faintly hear a baby and another child crying. Trunks raced up another flight of stairs and turned into a hallway. The sounds of crying got closer, as Trunks rammed through a flaming locked door with his shoulder.

As the door fell to the ground, he saw a little girl on the ground sobbing next to her mother, who was trapped under a metal beam. “Mommy, please wake up,” the little girl asked as her mother continued to lie unconscious. The sound of a baby wailing persisted in a separate but nearby room.

Trunks quickly ran to her and lifted the wood off of her. He picked up the mother and tossed her over his shoulder before tucking the little girl in his arm. He then quickly ran to the other room, where he saw the infant in their cradle, surrounded by flames. Trunks sprinted to the crib and cradled the baby in his remaining arm. He then turned to the wall and rammed through it. 

Trunks and the family dropped down three stories onto the road, and the Saiyan ran over to the nearest group of EMTs. “Get them out of here, now!” he told them as he handed over the baby and the mother. 

As he put down the little girl, and with soot on her face and tears in her eyes, she looked up to him and asked, “Mister, is my mommy gonna die?”

Trunks got on one knee and smiled at her. “She’s gonna be okay. I promise.” 

The little girl was guided away to an ambulance by an EMT, but she waved goodbye to Trunks, who returned the wave while he was approached by police officers. Trunks stood up as the group of law enforcers circled him. “We’re going to need you to leave the area now,” an officer sternly told him. “We appreciate your efforts, but-”

Trunks disappeared from their sight and ran back towards the fires, ignoring their calls to stop and come back. As his side and back were beginning to sting and stiffen up, he could tell his adrenaline from his fight earlier was beginning to wear off. However, he still had to save whoever he could, so he fought through the pain and fatigue. While Toshiro and the firefighters tried to quell the flames, Goten finally arrived and dropped to the ground, as they both sprinted into the blaze and vanished in the smoke, searching for any signs of life.

There were many people that Goten and Trunks managed to save that day, but there were equally as many, if not more, that they could not save in time. Some bodies laid in the street; some were engulfed by the flames and burned up; some laid in the buildings, suffocated from the smoke; others passed in the care of medical professionals. In total, 310 died and 800 more were injured in what would be dubbed as the Karakura Town Explosion, a moment when, for some inexplicable reason, multiple parts of the city's downtown area combusted without warning, and indiscriminately stole the lives of men, women, and children.

The fires were able to be stopped within five hours, but embers and ash continued to shower over the city. Trunks, Goten, and Toshiro floated above the city in silence as the sun began to set, watching the aftermath of the fires continue to unfold. All three of their faces were painted with soot and no one could escape the feeling of anguish that haunted them. A cold winter wind swept through and wrapped around their bodies.

“Goten,” Trunks said as he turned to his friend. “I think I’m gonna take Ichigo and head to the Hyperbolic Time Chamber. You two can go in together if you want.”

Goten continued to stare into the city as he replied in a low, monotone voice. “I uh, I can’t. I’ve got something I need to do.”

“Yea but, you can’t take a day to-”

“Trunks, I-I just can’t. I’m sorry”

Trunks saw his friend’s despair and stopped trying to convince him. Goten gritted his teeth and muttered to himself, “Fucking hell,” before he quickly dashed off away from his friends. 

Neither Toshiro nor Trunks protested for Goten to stop. They both understood and even felt the same way as he did. “I’ll go after him,” Toshiro said.

“Yea… please,” Trunks quietly responded. Hitsugaya turned and flew away from Trunks to pursue Goten. Now that he was alone, Trunks figured it would be best to get back to Urahara’s to see if everything was okay. He flew back to the shop and arrived at the porch. He pulled the door back and saw Soifon sleeping in a bed with Yoruichi sitting close to her. The normal pigment in her skin had returned, and the pain on her face was gone. 

“Is she alright?” Trunks asked Yoruichi.

She nodded. “She just needs some rest. She’ll probably be up and kicking in a couple of hours.”

Trunks then looked up and saw Ichigo lying in a bed as well, reverted to his Shikai form with Orihime at his side. He didn’t ask her if he was okay: he already knew that the answer was yes. He simply looked to her and said, “Orihime, thank you.”

Orihime gave him a half-smile but stopped when she saw wounds on his body. “Trunks, you're hurt!”

Trunks turned around and started walking towards the door. “Yea, it’s okay.”

“You need to get your injuries taken care of!” scolded Yoruichi.

Trunks opened the door and softly replied, “Maybe later,” before he shut the door behind him. 

Orihime and Yoruichi shared a worried expression on their faces. “He’s just being irrational,” Yoruichi said as she stood up.”I’ll go bring him-”

“Yoruichi,” Kisuke interrupted as he stepped out from another room. “I’ll handle this one. Seeing as I yelled at him before, I should probably be the one to talk to him now.”

Kisuke exited the shop but didn't see Trunks standing on the porch. However, when Kisuke lifted his head he could see a pair of feet dangling over the roof. Kisuke walked a few steps out, before turning around and jumping onto the roof. He turned and looked at Trunks, who was looking down at his hands that were covered in dirt and dried blood. Kisuke then turned towards the edge of the roof and looked out to the smoke that continued to flow from the town.

“It’s too cold to be wallowing in defeat,” Kisuke said. “At least by yourself.” 

Trunks closed his hands and took a minute to respond. “I failed, Kisuke. I couldn’t protect the people that were close to me, and I let so many innocent bystanders die.”

“That’s not something you could have prevented, Trunks-”

“But I could have!” Trunks' voice began to waver. “If I just trained harder to begin with, or if I just acted faster. I could’ve… everybody could have been saved. Ichigo wouldn’t have gotten hurt, Soifon wouldn't have almost bled to death, and… all of those people could’ve lived.”

“You did all you could given the circumstances, and you ended up saving a lot of lives. I’m sure the Captain and all of those people are more than grateful to you.”

Trunks paused before continuing. “I saw them… there were so many bodies burning: women, kids, people my age… I couldn’t get there in time. If I wasn’t so selfish, I could’ve helped more.”

“You can’t always expect yourself to be so analytical when the people close to you are injured. I know that from experience. In hindsight, there are always things you could do differently, but you’re young and you still have to grow and learn.”

Kisuke took a moment before continuing. “Trunks, you’ve seen more death and destruction today as a 20-year-old than most Soul Reapers will see in their lifetimes. I know that when things like this happen, we sometimes wish the world would stop so that we could process our pain. Unfortunately, time doesn’t stop, and if you take a day or two to get yourself together, that’s more time for the enemy to continue to plot and prepare. If you can’t keep up, then you will be overwhelmed, and everyone and everything that you care about will be destroyed. This is the essence of war. All the hurt, the pain, the anger that you feel, don’t direct it at yourself. Direct it at the ones responsible for this, the ones who’ve caused all of us to feel this way for over a hundred years: direct your anger at Aizen and his henchmen, and make him pay for it.”

Trunks stood up on the edge of the roof and looked out to the horizon with Kisuke. “Yea… I guess there’s no more time to waste.”

“I’ll get the Tenshintai so that you can get started on Bankai training right away.”

“I think I have a better idea. I’m gonna have to leave for the next two weeks with Ichigo, but I should have my Bankai by tomorrow.”

“Are you going to that room that can give you a year’s worth of training in a day?”

Trunks nodded. “I tried to go without it, but at this point, I’ll need any extra advantage I can get.”

Kisuke tipped his hat and grinned. “I see. Well, before you head off, at least let Ms. Inoue heal your wounds.”

Trunks agreed and the two jumped down and entered back into the shop. Trunks picked up his torn and bloodied jacket from the floor and put it on. He then walked over to Orihime and sat down next to her. “Would you mind healing me, Orihime?” he asked.

She smiled. “Not at all.” She then stretched her hands out towards him and chanted “Soten Kisshun, I reject.” The hairpins flew out of Orihime’s hair and surrounded Trunks. They began emitting a yellow light that shielded him and began the healing process. Trunks watched as not only his injuries were being treated, but the ash and blood were being lifted from his skin. Even his jacket was being repaired. After a minute, the glow faded away, and the hairpins returned to her Orihime’s head. 

Feeling that his wounds were gone, Trunks stood up and expressed his gratitude. “Thanks, I feel as good as new.”

“Of course,” Orihime replied. “I’m glad I could help.”

Trunks walked into his room and went to the far corner where his bag was located. He reached into his bag and grabbed his walkie talkie. Even though he hadn’t talked to his father in 4 months, he didn't hesitate at all to speak.

“Hello, dad?” he called out. “Can you hear me?”

After a few seconds, he could hear static on the other end. “I can hear you, Trunks,” Vegeta responded. “What is it?”

“I need to meet up with you guys now, and then I need a ride to the Lookout.”

“Okay, I’ll arrange for that now.”

Trunks dropped the walkie talkie back into his bag, then picked up the bag by its straps and reached for something that sat next to it. He picked up a box with gift wrap on it that was bright yellow with black cats all over it. He stood up but was caught off guard when he heard sniffling coming from another room. He walked over to the room across from him and slowly opened the door. In the middle of the room, Jinta sat with his knees to his chest and head lowered, failing to hold in the tears that escaped his eyes.

“Hey,” Trunks said as he entered the room. “What’s the matter?”

Jinta tried to stifle his sniffling before he answered. “I- I just got a text. Two of my friends from school… they died in the fire.”

Trunks' heart skipped as he struggled to respond. “Jinta I- I’m so sorry.”

“It’s just... it’s just so unfair.”

Trunks walked over to Jinta, took a knee beside him, and put his hand on his back, but Jinta turned towards Trunks and buried his head on his shoulder. Trunks didn’t say anything, but he hugged Jinta and allowed him to cry for as long as he needed to. When Jinta was finished, he wiped his eyes and spoke again.

“Trunks?” he asked.

“What’s up buddy?” Trunks answered.

“Make sure those bastards don’t walk out alive.”

Trunks nodded. “I won’t, I put my life on that. I’m gonna be gone for a couple of weeks to train, so hold this place down for me while I’m gone, okay?” Jinta nodded, while Trunks lifted his fist and Jinta touched his fist with his own. Trunks got up with his things and left the room.

Trunks reentered the main room where the others were and turned towards Urahara. “Hey Kisuke, would you mind doing me a favor?”

“Ask away, my boy,” Urahara replied.

“Well, it’s actually two favors. First, would you mind getting me a pen and a piece of paper?”

Kisuke nodded, retrieved the items for Trunks, and gave it to him. Trunks thanked him and put the paper on the wrapped box to write.

“So, what would be your second request?” Urahara inquired.

Trunks finished writing, folded the piece of paper, and looked up at Kisuke. “Do you think you can up the gravity of the chamber to 700 times earth’s gravity?”

“700?!” Yoruichi gasped. “Don’t you think that’s going too far?”

“If it was for me, then I’d agree,” Trunks answered. “But there isn’t a concept of too far when it comes to Soifon.”

Kisuke looked down at her sleeping. “You think that’ll be enough for her?”

“If she reaches that within two weeks, it’ll have to be. Please though, just make sure she doesn’t overdo it.”

Kisuke nodded, and Trunks walked over to Yoruichi and handed her the box with paper on top. “Could you make sure she gets this when she wakes up?”

“Sure,” Yoruichi agreed. “Are you sure you don’t want to give it to her yourself?”

“I won’t be here long enough to do that.”

“What do you mean? Where are you-”

Yoruichi was interrupted by a loud boom that came from the front yard. Everyone in the room jolted except for Trunks. “Looks like my ride’s here,” he commented as he walked over to Ichigo. “I was hoping he’d wake up before we left. Oh well.” Trunks bent down and tossed Ichigo over his shoulder.

“Uh, Trunks,” Orihime quavered. “Maybe Ichigo should rest more before he starts moving around.”

Trunks started walking towards the door. “I know, but we’ve gotta get going now.”

“Where exactly are you going?” asked Yoruichi.

Trunks stopped in front of the door. “Ichigo and I need to get stronger, so I’m taking him to the best place I know to get the results we need in a short amount of time.” He turned around and took a final look at every one. “Take care guys, I’ll see you later.”

Trunks opened the door and saw that it was Whis instead of Vados waiting for him. “Hey Whis, you got here pretty fast.”

Whis grinned. “Well, your father requested that I picked you up as quickly as possible.”Trunks walked over to him, put his hand on the angel’s shoulder, and the three of them soared away to Universe 7.

About 5 minutes after they left, Ichigo finally began to wake up. His eyes slowly opened and he could see that he was rapidly passing by what looked like stars and planets. “What the- what the hell’s going on?!”

Trunks turned his head back towards Ichigo. “Well look who’s up.”

“Trunks? Where are we, and what happened to Nnoitra, and Grimmjow… and Karakura Town?”

“I got us a ride to my universe. We’re gonna pick up our training there. I’ll try to explain everything when we arrive.”

“Well can you at least put me down?”

“Sure, but make sure you don’t let go of me, or else you’ll be launched into deep space.”

Ichigo got down from Trunks’ shoulder and grabbed onto his arm. “Trunks, what the hell happened after I got knocked out?”

“A lot. Soifon nearly died, Goten and Toshiro saved us, and Karakura Town kept burning. We couldn’t save everybody. I’m sorry.”

Ichigo clenched his fist. “Dammit,” he fumed. “And what about the Espada?”

“Apparently they left after Grimmjow defeated you and handed you over to Goten. Goten told me that he said it was all a test to see how strong we were.”

“No… what the hell are we gonna do?”

“Don’t worry, I have a plan.”

The group soon arrived on Beerus’ planet and standing in front of them was the Saiyan trio to greet them.

Gohan was the first to greet them. “Hey, it’s been a while Trunks, and this must be your friend, Ichigo.”

“Looks like you've gotten a whole a lot stronger, too,” Goku added.

Trunks thanked him, then looked to his father.

“So,” Vegeta started. “What’s this all about?”

“Nice to see you too, Dad,” Trunks muttered before addressing the issue. “We just encountered Espada numbers 5 and 6, and it’s safe to say their strength is a lot greater than what we were anticipating.”

“I fought Grimmjow,” Ichigo interjected. “And he had a new form to his Resurreción. It was Segunda Etapa, and I could barely scratch him while he was in it.”

The Saiyans’ eyes widened as they gasped in unison. “Damn,” Gohan said. “I knew it was a possibility, but I was hoping it would only apply to Ulquiorra.”

“You knew?” Trunks asked.

“I knew something was wrong when Dad’s description of Ulquiorra’s transformation didn’t match the file you gave us. Now that we’ve confirmed another transformation, it would be our best bet to assume that all of the Espada have an additional form.”

“Dammit… Gohan, I think we’re gonna have to change our plan.”

“Hm? How so?”

“I think the Soul Society needs to stay back while the five of us go in. Trunks turned to Ichigo and addressed him. “Sorry, that means you’re gonna have to hang back, Ichigo.”

Everyone was taken aback by this proposition, especially Ichigo. “What the hell?!” Ichigo shouted at his friend. “Goten and you guys are gonna go in and fight all nine Espada plus Aizen by yourselves? That’s suicide!”

Gohan voiced his doubts as well. “Trunks, I’m not fully disagreeing with you, but we need to know the logic behind something like that.”

“Ichigo,” Trunks said. “What happens if we get there and Aizen’s sealed the Garganta and sent half of the Espada to Earth or even the Soul Society? Anybody close to Grimmjow’s level will murder most of the Captains there in minutes, and then he can just create the Oken in Karakura Town. On top of that, Grimmjow said that Aizen is just waiting to get his hands on you, meaning that you’re already a walking target if you come with us in the beginning. What I’m proposing is that we have a majority of Soul Reapers go to Earth indefinitely, and then have a select group sit back and wait until we signal for you to come. If the Garganta’s closed, we’ll find a way to open it from the other side.”

Ichigo backed down, and Gohan came around to the idea. “That makes sense. We’ll be outnumbered before we even try to reach Aizen, but we’ve been through worse.”

“Well, how many Senzu beans do we have?” Trunks asked.

“Only seven… hopefully, it’ll be enough.”

Trunks looked back at Ichigo, whose head was slumped from the news. “This doesn’t mean you don’t get to fight,” Trunks declared. “It just means you’ll be our ace in the hole.” Ichigo lifted his head and nodded.

“Well,” Vegeta grinned. “Now I have even more challengers to put down. It’ll be my lucky day.”

Goku shared in his excitement. “Yea, I can’t wait to show off our training.”

Gohan turned back to Trunks and asked, “So, you’re off to the Time Chamber now?”

“Yea,” Trunks replied. “We still need to put some finishing touches on our training. We’ll probably even stay on Earth for a while just to train in peace.”

“I understand. I’m guessing Goten didn’t wanna come with you.”

“I asked, but he said he had something else to do, so hopefully he’s already strong enough.”

“Well, good luck you two. You’re gonna need it.”

Trunks and Ichigo thanked Gohan and said their goodbyes before heading over to Whis and flying to Earth. Once they touched down at the Lookout Tower, Trunks thanked Whis and bid him farewell, as the angel took back to the sky and departed.

“What is this place?” Ichigo asked as he observed his surroundings.

“This is where the guardian of the Earth, Dende, stays,” Trunks answered. “We call it the Lookout Tower.”

“So, are you gonna tell me what we’re doing here now?”

Trunks walked to the edge of the tower. “Yea, in a second.” He looked down at the Earth and confirmed it for himself: there was truly no one left. He took a deep breath and turned around. “Alright, follow me.”

Trunks led Ichigo down a hallway until he came to a brown door. “On the other side of this door is another dimension called the Hyperbolic Time Chamber. Inside, time is compressed, and a day out here equals a year in there. The gravity is only ten times Earth’s gravity, but the temperature fluctuates rapidly and the high air density makes it hard to breathe in there.”

“Sounds like it should be fun,” Ichigo predicted.

“Not in the slightest,” Trunks mumbled as he opened the door to the dimension. They both walked through as Ichigo shut the door behind him. Trunks looked and pointed to his left, “So over there, you’ve got the kitchen and bathroom.” He then looked to his right and pointed. “And over here are the beds.”

Ichigo looked both ways before looking forward, and he gasped in pure astonishment. “No fucking way,” he remarked as he ran out into the chamber. He stepped off of the platform and looked out into a sea of nothing. “You’re telling me that this is a whole dimension of white space?”

Trunks nodded. “You take a minute and check that out while I go get changed.” 

Trunks walked to the beds as Ichigo turned around and marveled at the room. The building that he walked out of had hourglasses with green sanding racing to the bottom and a large clock at the top. On the floor of the chamber, it felt like it had to have been freezing temperature and only getting colder. The thing that had started to overwhelm him was the seemingly infinite white space. There weren’t even walls for the sound of his voice to bounce off of. The doubts were already beginning to trickle through Ichigo’s mind. _Is this for real? Are we really gonna spend a whole year here?_

“So, what do you think?” Trunks asked as he emerged with his Saiyan battle suit on.

“This is insane,” Ichigo declared. “You’ve done this before?”

“Yea, but only for about two weeks when I was eight. This isn’t even the worst part. Once we go deeper in, everything gets a lot tougher.”

“I can see why you didn’t say anything about this place before.”

Trunks drew his Zanpakuto and sat down. “Ichigo, I hate this place and I really hoped we wouldn’t have to come here. The two weeks I spent here with Goten as a kid were some of the most agonizing days of my life, but maybe that’ll be different this time around.” Trunks placed Zangetsu on his lap and prepared to meditate. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to get my Bankai.” Figuring that it’d be best to wait for Trunks, Ichigo sat beside him and began meditating with his Zanpakuto as well.

Trunks closed his eyes, then opened them and found himself lying on the ground, staring at familiar blue sky and clouds. He stood up and saw his Zanpakuto spirit standing on a pole, facing away from him.

“So, you’ve returned,” Zangetsu commented.

“Zangetsu, face me!” Trunks commanded. The raven-haired man turned around and jumped down onto the rooftop. “I need my Bankai, and I’m not leaving here until you give it to me.”

“Trunks, do you not trust me?” he asked.

Trunks gritted his teeth while veins throbbed from his neck and his hair started to flow upwards. Electricity rapidly bounced all around his body. “You’ve kept me waiting long enough. The way I see it, there are only three options now. Option one: you give me my Bankai now and I can start my training. Option two: I fight you and defeat you right now, and you give me my Bankai. Option three: I go back to Kisuke and get the Tenshintai, and force you to give me my Bankai. Whatever way you choose, you will give me my Bankai, do you understand? So which one is it gonna be?”

“There is no difference between option two and option three-”

“ANSWER ME!”

Zangetsu sighed. “Very well.” He waved his hand, and almost instantly, a large selection of swords appeared thrust into the ground before, not only on the rooftop but on the sides of the building as well. “Find your Bankai among these swords and defeat me with it.”

Trunks powered up to his maximum in Pseudo Blue and picked up the first sword he saw. “Now that’s more like it.” Trunks charged Zangetsu and clashed swords with him, ready to do whatever it took to receive the power he needed.

* * *

Almost half an hour after Trunks and Ichigo left with Whis, Orihime had left the shop and Soifon was beginning to come to. Her eyes began to open and tried to get her bearings.

 _What the… Where am I?_ Soifon turned her head and saw her friend sitting next to her. “Lady… Yoruichi?”

“Hey,” Yoruichi smiled. “You’re up sooner than expected. How are you feeling?”

Soifon, remembering where she was before, opened her eyes fully, leaped out of her bed, and darted towards the door. “Wait a second!” Yoruichi called out. “Take it easy!”

Soifon opened the door and stopped as she saw the sky and the smoke coming from the city. “It’s night?” She turned to Yoruichi and asked, “How long was I out for?”

“A little more than 5 hours. It probably would’ve been longer if Orihime hadn’t healed you.”

Soifon paused before continuing. “Where’s Trunks?”

“He and Ichigo left for his universe about a half an hour ago. He said he wouldn’t be back for two weeks.”

Sofion walked back into the shop and closed the door. She began to remember the events that took place before; how she was preparing to finish the Fracción off when Nnoitra caught her off guard and slashed her in the back. Her memory after that was practically nonexistent, and she wanted to hear the full story from Trunks, but that was secondary to her. The fact that she could be put into a position that made her a liability enraged her. 

She clenched her jaw and glared at the ground. “I need to speak to Urahara.”

“If it’s about the chamber, Kisuke’s already upping the gravity to 700, per Trunks’ request. He said he should have it done by six.”

Soifon’s anger began to soothe. “He asked to increase the gravity even though he knew he was leaving?”

Yoruichi nodded as she stood up. “That’s not all. He also left this.”

Yoruichi held up the gift-wrapped box with the note to Soifon, but the Squad 2 Captain hesitated to receive it. “This is for me?”

“Mhm. Open it up, I wanna see what it is.”

Soifon took the box, but first opened the note and read it.

_Soifon,_

_I wanted to give you this tomorrow, but I had to leave with Ichigo, so I’m sorry. I’m also sorry that your birthday will probably be overshadowed by tragedy. Regardless, it’s still your day and it should be commemorated in some way. Hopefully, we can celebrate when this is all over, but for now, this gift is all I can give._

_Stay strong and always hang on to your pride._

_Happy Birthday!_

_Trunks Briefs_

_P.S: It’s Citrine. I thought it would go with your sash._

Soifon folded the note back up and started to tear off the wrapping paper, which gave way to a plain white box. She pulled off the top of the box and revealed an amber yellow stone surrounded by a square frame implanted with diamonds. The frame was connected to a ring clasp, which was suspended from a sterling silver chain. Soifon took the necklace out of the box and silently marveled at it with wide eyes, while Yoruichi couldn’t keep her astonishment to herself.

“It’s so beautiful,” Yoruichi gushed. “I see what he’s been putting all his pay towards now.”

Soifon gazed at the stone for a few more seconds, but then closed her hand while her arm dropped down to her side and her head fell to the floor. 

Yoruichi was puzzled at her friend’s reaction. “Soifon? What’s the matter?”

“Lady Yoruichi,” she whispered. “I just don’t understand.”

“You’re going to have to elaborate. What’s there not to understand?

“Why would he do something like this?”

“Well, why wouldn’t he? You got him something for his birthday, too.”

“It’s not the same. All I did was spy on him and dismiss him, yet he still tried to be nice to me. Every single day he saw me, he never quit. At his own birthday party, he left to talk to me. He even saved my life, and he most likely saved it again today. The watch I gave him… he deserves that and more. I don’t deserve this. I don’t deserve anything, so why did he give me this? What could I have done to warrant this?”

Yoruichi sighed before answering. “You don’t have to be deserving to receive affection. Sometimes, people will just give it to you, free of charge. These are just the things Trunks does to show that he cares about you.”

Soifon raised her head but quickly avoided eye contact while blood flowed to her cheeks and turned them a soft pink color. “He… cares?”

* * *

_Damn, we’re going to be late..._

Toshiro walked quickly down the Squad 10 barracks and stopped in front of a sliding door.

“Goten, are you in there?” he called out. 

There was no answer, so the Captain tried again. “Goten, if you’re in there, please come out. We can talk about this.”

No response came from inside of the room. Hitsugaya put his hand on the door and spoke one last time. “I’m coming in now!” He pulled the door back but saw no one in the room.

Toshiro sighed. _He’s got to be somewhere in the Seireitei._ He closed the door and then flew into the sky to look for his friend. 

Goten sat back on the bottom of a grassy hill that overlooked the rest of the Soul Society. He sat with one leg to his chest and the other stretched out. He rested his arm on his leg and buried his head between his elbow. His skin was sticky with sweat and still covered in soot, but he couldn’t be bothered with that. After everything that had transpired in the last few hours, he felt like he needed to be isolated from everyone and everything.

The 19-year old couldn’t escape the horrors that he saw and heard from before. He watched as multiple people died all around him; women that could’ve been his mom; girls that could’ve been his niece; teens that could’ve been people he knew from school. He could hear the crying and agony of the survivors that lost their mothers, fathers, sons, daughters, sisters, brothers, and friends. The flames that surrounded him and engulfed the city were burned into his memory.

He kept telling himself that if he had only gotten there sooner, if only he had asked fewer questions and acted faster, he could’ve saved more lives. He wouldn’t have had to see his friends nearly get killed, and he wouldn’t have to experience the helpless feeling of being surrounded by enemies. Goten tried to hold his emotions back, but he felt overwhelmed by it all, and the tears began to flow from his face.

_Why… what the fuck is wrong with me?_

Suddenly, Goten heard a voice call out from behind him at the top of the hill. “Young man, are you alright down there?”

Goten jolted and he quickly wiped away his tears. He turned around and saw that it was the Captain who looked like a wolf. Goten stood to his feet and addressed him. “Oh, hi Captain Komamura. I was just trying to get some fresh air?”

“Would you like to come up here and chat with me?”

“Oh, sure!” Goten quickly jogged up the hill, and upon reaching the top, saw two gravestones a few yards in front of him. “I-I’m sorry. I didn’t know this was a-”

“It’s quite alright. I wouldn’t expect you to notice, given the day that you’re having.”

Goten’s eyes fell to the grass and his voice dropped down to a whisper. “Word sure does get around here fast, huh?”

“I’m sorry that you had to witness such atrocities at such a young age. You shouldn’t place any blame on yourself for what happened.”

“It’s easier said than done. If I had got there sooner, maybe I could’ve changed everything.”

“I’m sure you did all that you could from the moment it was brought to your attention. There are just some things in this life that are out of our control.”

“Yea, I guess so.”

Komamura turned towards the graves and continued. “Goten, the people buried under these tombstones were just like you: people seeking to attain justice by any means. One of them was the former Captain of Squad 9.”

Goten’s head shot up. “You mean he was Shuhei’s Captain?”

Komamura nodded. “Yes, and we were close friends until he sided with Aizen. It wasn’t until his deathbed that he finally opened his eyes to the light, but at that point, it was already too late. He was quickly cast aside by Aizen when he proved of no value. I’m telling you this to say that there are those in this world that will try to achieve their goals by any means and will crush any life in their way to obtain their desires. Sosuke Aizen is such a person. The 13 Court Guard Squads have long been fighting this war to bring him to justice and make sure he atones for his crimes. I can tell that you are a young man with a strong moral compass who wants to protect everything that you can. Goten, when you fight your battles, you are not alone: the entirety of the Soul Society is behind you.”

As Goten thanked the Captain and prepared to respond, Toshiro dropped out of the sky and landed beside Goten and Komamura. “Hey, Toshiro,” Goten said.

“Are you alright?” Hitsugaya asked.

“Yea, Captain Komamura over here picked me back up.”

Toshiro turned to the other Captain and greeted him. “Hello, Captain Komamura.”

“It’s good to see that you're well, Captain Hitsugaya,” he replied as he turned and started walking away. “It looks like you two have some things you need to discuss, so I shall see myself out.”

“Thanks again, Captain,” Goten called out.

“It was nothing, and if you ever need to talk again, I’ll be more than happy to.”

Goten turned his attention back to Hitsugaya. “Sorry that I made us late. Hopefully, the Head Captain will understand.”

“That’s not what I’m concerned about right now.”

“Well, how about we fly and talk?”

Toshiro nodded, and the two took off towards the Squad 1 barracks. “Hey, Goten,” Toshiro said.

“What’s up?” Goten asked. 

“You’re not alone in this.”

“What do you mean?”

“I know how you are. You’re putting all of the blame on yourself, just like I am. I know you want to save everyone and put the weight of the world on your shoulders, but you don’t have to. We can shoulder it together, and whatever battles you face, I’ll be there to back you up.”

When Goten heard it from Captain Komamura, it felt like a kind gesture, but it didn't ease his mind. When he heard it from his friend, however, Goten felt more relaxed, and it brightened his spirits a little. “Thanks,” he said with a half-smile. “I appreciate that. We gotta put our all into this training. If we can face him for the two weeks, then we’ll be ready for Aizen.”

Hitsugaya agreed, and the two descended into the Squad 1 barracks, landing at a building known as the Central Great Underground Prison, located next to the Head Captain’s office. A Soul Reaper stood in front of the door, and upon seeing the two of them approach, called for it to be opened. The large entrance slowly opened and the Soul Reaper told them that Captain Yamamoto was waiting for them in Muken, which was down eight floors. Toshiro and Goten walked down 8 dark flights of stairs and then came to a door. Toshiro opened the door, and the two of them walked into what looked like a dark void that stretched as far as the eye could see in every direction. However, they could see Yamamoto stand a great distance away from them.

“Now that you are here,” the Head Captain’s voice echoed. “Are you ready to commence your training?”

“Yea!” Goten yelled out. “Don’t you dare hold back on us!”

“I expect the same in return.” The Head Captain threw off his robe and the weight of his spiritual pressure came bearing down on Goten and Toshiro. The cane that he carried around with him disintegrated into a Zanpakuto, as he drew his blade and chanted. “All Things In the Universe, Turn to Ashes, **Ryujin Jakka**!” 

From his sword and the Head Captain’s body, fire shot out from all directions and illuminated Muken. The intensity and heat of his Shikai release caught Goten and Toshiro off guard, but the duo stood their ground. Seeing flames again, however, caused severe rage to arise out of Goten, as he yelled out and powered up to his maximum immediately. He summoned his sword and quickly drew it from his hip as he panted with anger.

“Hey!” Toshiro yelled from beside him. Goten turned his head as Toshiro reminded him, “Don't forget, I’ve got your back.”

Goten slowed his breathing and calmed down, then smiled. “So, you ready?”

Toshiro nodded. They both drew their swords into the sky and chorused, “Reign Over the Frosted Heavens, **Hyorinmaru!”** Both of their swords extended and grew a chain with a crescent-shaped blade at the bottom of the hilt. A large ice dragon with red eyes circled each of them as they prepared to battle.

The fires of Ryujin Jakka magnified as the Head Captain brought his sword forward. “Come!” He shouted out to them.

“Guess that’s our queue,” Goten said. “Fire versus ice… let’s see who comes out on top.”

“Let’s not get too hasty,” Hitsugaya advised. “We can get killed if we don’t proceed with caution.”

“Sometimes you just gotta go for it and take some chances, at least that's what my dad says. Besides, I have some techniques I wanna try out.”

“Well then, lead the way.”

“With pleasure.” The Super Saiyan charged at the Head Captain as Toshiro followed closely behind. With that, their two-week training with the Soul Society’s most fearsome warrior was underway.

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Couple of things I wanted to say/address:
> 
> Happy Saturday, I know it took a couple of weeks, but as you can see, I think I made up for it with a little more content than usual
> 
> Two things to clarify that I probably should have chapters ago: Pseudo Blue= Future Trunks Super Saiyan rage form, All the new Espada form designs are right from Bleach: Brave Souls
> 
> As always, thanks for reading, and I'll see ya next time!


	14. Change (In the House of Flies)

_I watched you change_

_Into a fly_

_I looked away_

_You were on fire_

_And I watched a change in you_

_It's like you never had wings_

_Now you feel so alive_

_I’ve watched you change_

* * *

Trunks and Ichigo completed their full year of preparation in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber and sent word back to the Soul Society about the plan they had crafted with Gohan. Afterward, they spent the next ten days training by themselves on an empty Earth, feeding off of canned food and bottled water from abandoned supermarkets. Once they were finished, the duo headed back to Karakura Town, with their first order of business being to get haircuts from Ichigo’s sister, Karin. The next two days were dedicated to resting and planning their strategies out with Urahara, Goten, Hitsugaya, and the other Saiyans, via the walkie talkie. 

The Research and Development Institute had confirmed that Aizen and the Espada were located in their Hueco Mundo headquarters, known as Las Noches. With this information, Urahara and the group decided that the invasion would commence on February 25th at nine in the morning, one day before the Oken was predicted to be ready for activation. Trunks and Goten would travel to Hueco Mundo via the Garganta in the Soul Society to meet up with the Saiyans, who planned on traveling with Whis. Once there, they would travel to Las Noches and each of the Saiyans would face off with their designated Espada. Through request and deliberation, their opponents were chosen: Trunks would face Espada 9 and 5; Goten would take on Espada 8 and 2; Gohan was slated to fight Espada 7 and 3; Vegeta would face off against numbers 6 and 1; Goku would battle number 4 while being the first and hopefully last to face off with Aizen.

Trunks, Ichigo, Goten, and Hitsugaya selected the group of Soul Reapers that were to travel to Hueco Mundo as reinforcements. The list read as follows: 

Ichigo Kurosaki

Orihime Inoue

Kisuke Urahara

Yoruichi Shihoin

From Squad 2: Captain Soifon

From Squad 4: Captain Unohana, Lieutenant Kotetsu, and Hanataro Yamada

From Squad 5: Captain Hirako and Lieutenant Hinamori

From Squad 6: Lieutenant Abari

From Squad 7: Captain Komamura

From Squad 9: Lieutenant Hisagi

From Squad 10: Captain Hitsugaya and Lieutenant Matsumoto

From Squad 13: Lieutenant Kuchiki

All other Captains and Lieutenants were to be assigned to either the Earth or the Soul Society by the Head Captain. Though there were some glaring omissions from the Hueco Mundo list, like Captain Kuchiki and Captain Zaraki, it was deemed necessary that those persons stay behind in case of an emergency. 

With all of the final preparations made, February 25th arrived, and the fate of Universes 6 and 7 was at hand. Trunks woke up early that day, and even though he couldn’t shake some of his nerves, he was most confident that his training would prove to be enough to come out on top. He dressed in his future counterpart’s garments, feeling as it would provide him some luck for his upcoming battle. Ichigo and Orihime arrived at around eight, and the group from Urahara’s shop began to leave. From the porch, the other residents of the shop gave their goodbyes to the others in the yard.

“Good luck to you all,” Tessai told them. “We’re counting on you.”

“Please don’t get too hurt,” worried Ururu.

Jinta hopped off the porch and walked over to Trunks. As he stood in front of him, he raised his fist to Trunks and looked into his eyes with serious intent. “Give ‘em hell for me.”

Trunks smirked and bumped his fist. “How about I send them to hell and tell them to mail you a postcard?”

Jinta grinned. “Even better.” 

With that, the group said their final goodbyes, as Urahara opened the Senkaimon, and the group departed for the Soul Society. Once they arrived, Trunks and Ichigo located and flew the group towards the Soul Reapers selected to go to Hueco Mundo. Upon arrival, Trunks noticed something strange. Located in front of the Squad 12 Barracks, the Soul Reapers stood in front of a semicircle of flat-screen TVs sitting on stands. 

As they landed, the Saiyan turned to Kisuke and asked, “What’s with the TVs?”

“We’re going to be watching you from here,” Urahara answered. “Captain Kurotsuchi and I developed tiny cameras that fly to track and transmit a live video feed from all five of you. Whenever any of you gives the signal for us, we’ll see and/or hear it.”

“It’s just like a pay-per-view fight,” Ichigo added. “Except our lives depend on it.”

Trunks started to look around for Goten and Toshiro, but instead, he spotted Soifon standing beside Captain Komamura, staring back at him with arms crossed. He hadn’t seen her since he came back, so he jumped at the opportunity to speak with her. He jogged over to her and started a conversation. 

“Hey,” he greeted. “Haven’t seen you around these last couple of days.”

“I had some preparation to do for today,” Soifon answered. “I also needed some rest from the intense gravity.”

“Did you reach the maximum?”

Soifon nodded. “I didn’t have time to get comfortable with it, but it’ll have to do given the time constraints.”

Trunks beamed at her. “I knew you could do it.”

“Hmph, and what about your training? Where did you go exactly?”

“Well, I’ll tell you about that some other time, but let’s just say that it should be enough to get the job done.”

Soifon smirked. “Well, aren’t you feeling confident today? And here I was thinking that I’d have to save you.”

“Maybe I’ll get to bring back Aizen’s head as a trophy.”

Soifon stopped smiling and unfolded her arms. “Don’t be over-ambitious and get yourself killed.”

Trunks’ smile disappeared as he lowered his tone. “I know… I just plan on making them all pay.” 

Before he could continue, they turned to see Goten and Toshiro finally arriving and dropping down from the sky.

“Guess I should go meet up with him,” Trunks said as he turned back to Soifon and waved. “Wish me luck.”

Trunks began to walk away, but Soifon called him back. “Hold on!”

Trunks turned around with raised eyebrows. “What’s up?”

Soifon cleared her throat. “I um… it’s nothing. Just… don’t be stupid. Completing the objective doesn’t have to come at the expense of your life.”

“I’ll be fine,” Trunks grinned. “I’ve worked too hard to lose everything now. Plus, we still have to celebrate when this is over.”

“You’re thinking about celebrating at a time like this? You’re absolutely ridiculous.”

“Only a little bit.” Trunks put his hand up and waved. “See ya later.”

Soifon returned a small wave, and Trunks walked towards Goten, who was speaking with Ichigo and Urahara. 

“Fashionably late, as always,” Trunks jested.

“Hey,” Goten replied. “Sorry I didn’t get here earlier, we were doing some last-minute image training.”

“No big deal. As long as you’re ready, we can get going now.”

“Yea,” Goten turned to Urahara. “Hey, Kisuke. We’re ready to head in now.”

Kisuke nodded as he stood behind a control panel. He began pushing levers and turning knobs, and suddenly, a large portal opened up and revealed a black abyss to Goten and Trunks.

“So this is the Garganta,” Goten said as he stuck his head in. “Kinda spooky.”

Urahara walked over to Trunks and held his hand out. “Here,” he said as he put five tiny objects in his hand. “These are the cameras we’ll be watching you from. Once all five of you are there, they’ll activate on their own.”

“Thanks.” Trunks stepped closer towards the portal and took a deep breath. “Well, here goes nothing.”

“Hey!” Ichigo uttered. “I know I’ve asked this a hundred times, but are you sure that you wanna go through with this?”

Trunks turned his head to Ichigo and grinned. “We’ll be fine, and if worst comes to worst, we still have you as the secret weapon.”

Ichigo smirked and lifted his fist. “Go get ‘em, tiger. Also, if you end up seeing a little girl over there, her name is Nel. Tell her I said hi.”

The two touched fists, as Trunks powered up his aura and disappeared into the Garganta.

“Well,” Goten said as he bumped fists with Ichigo. “Guess it’s my turn now.” Goten faced the rest of the Soul Reapers and said his goodbyes. “I’ll see you guys on the other side!”

“Good luck out there!” Momo cheered. 

Rangiku chimed in. “Do your best, Goten!”

Toshiro, who was standing next to his Lieutenant, walked up to Goten and spoke. “Remember, this isn’t a suicide mission. You don’t have to throw your life away.”

The smile partially faded from Goten’s face. “I gotta do what I gotta do. A hundred billion people are banking on me not to fail, so I’ll do everything I can to make sure I don’t let them down.”

Toshiro relented. “I understand. Best of luck to you, Goten.”

Goten gave his friend a thumbs up. “Thank you, Toshiro, for everything. I couldn’t have made it this far without you.” 

With that, Goten powered up and flew into the void with Trunks.

 _Hmph,_ Toshiro thought as he watched his friend soar away. _I should be the one thanking you._

While he turned around to walk back to his Lieutenant, the Garganta behind him abruptly and violently shut. Toshiro quickly turned around, as he and all of the other Soul Reapers looked on in shock. 

“Was that supposed to happen, Kisuke?” puzzled Ichigo.

“No, not normally,” Kisuke answered. “It looks like Aizen’s sealed our path to Hueco Mundo.”

* * *

“Um, was it supposed to shut that hard?” Trunks asked as the Saiyans floated in the void.

“It didn’t the last time I saw it,” Goten replied. “It must’ve gotten shut by Aizen.”

“Great, guess we’ll figure that out later. Come on, the sooner we get there, the better.”

The duo started to fly in the opposite direction towards Hueco Mundo. While they both soared through the abyss, Goten turned toward his friend and smiled. “So, did you guys plan an after battle date yet?”

“Quit it,” Trunks replied. “Who knows if these things are on and already transmitting audio.”

“Good point. So, how are you feeling?”

“I feel… nervous, but I’m also glad that we get to put all of our hard work to the test.”

“Do you think it’ll be enough?

“Well, I think I did enough, and I’m sure your training helped you out a lot. Even if we can’t beat Aizen separately, we still have fusion.”

Goten smirked. “Guess we won’t have to rely on our dads this time.”

Trunks grinned back at him. “Nah, this is our time to shine.”

The two continued to fly through the void until a portal opened up ahead of them, revealing a dry, barren landscape. As they flew out of the Garganta and into Hueco Mundo, they landed on a sandy dune that overlooked the rest of the wasteland. The portal behind them closed, leaving them alone in the quiet world of Hollows. 

Goten observed the giant castle off in the distance. “I guess that would be Las Noches over there. There’s not much else here, though. No chance for a Spirit Bomb, that’s for sure.”

“No kidding,” Trunks replied. “Can you even use your Zanpakuto out here?”

“It’s less than ideal, but that’s what the Head Captain prepped us for.”

They continued to scan the bleak horizon until Trunks heard the screams of a child far away from him. He turned and saw a little girl running away from three Hollows, including a large one shaped like a worm. 

Trunks directed Goten’s attention. “Look! I think that’s the girl Ichigo was talking about.”

Goten glanced over and quickly jumped to action. “Let’s go, we gotta help her!”

Trunks and Goten raced over to her and skid to a stop in front of Nel, facing in front of the Hollows. Trunks turned his head to the green-haired girl and asked, “Are you okay? Did they hurt you at all?”

Nel quickly dropped to her knees while begging for mercy. “Please don’t hurt us, mister. Nel was only playing eternal tag with her brothers and pet. We promise we won’t cause any trouble.”

Trunks and Goten both shared a perplexing gaze. “Eternal tag?” Trunks asked.

Goten turned and looked to the Arrancars behind him on their knees groveling as well. “So, these are your brothers, and I’m guessing that worm is your pet?”

Nel sat up and nodded. “Mhm.” She pointed to the Arrancar on her right. “That’s Pesche.” 

“Hiya!” the insect-shaped Arrancar said as he jumped to his feet.

Nel then pointed to her left. “That’s Dondochakka.”

The short, spotted Arrancar leaped to his toes and exclaimed. “Hey! What’s going on?”

The little girl then pointed straight between the half-Saiyans. “And that’s our pet, Bawabawa.”

The worm-like Hollow growled to greet them. 

Trunks and Goten still stood as confused as ever, until something caught Trunks’ eye. _Wait, that’s a mask on her head. Is she an Arrancar? More details that Ichigo leaves out…_

Trunks’ train of thought was abruptly interrupted as Pesche quickly rushed in front of Trunks and invaded his personal space. “Yea, so who are you, huh? Huh?!”

“Um, I’m Trunks,” he sheepishly replied.

“Trunks, huh? Well, I don’t see any trunks on you. Maybe you should change your name to Shoes, or Pants, or Jacket.”

“Same joke, just a different delivery,” Trunks mumbled.

Dondochakka followed in his friend's footsteps and invaded Goten’s personal space. “Yea, and who are you?”

Goten, staring into the Arrancar’s bulging eyes, replied, “Oh, I’m Goten.”

“Goten? You don’t look like you’re going anywhere. And why are you going to ten? Have you ever tried going to eleven, or going to nine?”

“Guess I’ll have to ask my mom that one,” he nervously chuckled.

“Anyway,” Trunks interjected. “We’ll let you get back to that. Before we go through, Ichigo says hi.”

Nel quickly stood up and gasped. “You guys know Itsigo?”

Trunks nodded. “He’ll be here soon, but for now we’re off to go fight Aizen.”

The group of Arrancars gasped and looked to the Saiyans with worry. “You’re g-gonna go fight Lord Aizen?” Nel asked. “But he’s too strong.”

Trunks grinned. “Don’t sweat it. He won’t be a problem after today.”

Trunks and Goten said their goodbyes and departed back to where they came from. As they glided back, they saw the Garganta open up, and out of it came Gohan, Goku, and Vegeta, with Whis standing inside the entrance. Goku and Gohan waved back to the angel, but they were cut off as the void slammed shut and disappeared.

The Saiyans gasped. “What the hell just happened?” Vegeta asked.

“It was probably Aizen,” Goten answered as the duo landed in front of them. “The same thing happened to us when we left the Soul Society.”

Goku and Gohan grinned from ear to ear. “Long time, no see!” Gohan exclaimed. “How’ve you been, bro?”

“I’ve been good,” Goten replied. “I got a lot of training in while I was away, so hopefully it all pays off.”

“Well, you definitely worked hard,” Goku chimed in as he admired his son’s muscle growth. “You’ve really bulked up!”

Goten giggled and put his hand behind his head. “Gee, you think so?” Goten stopped and turned his attention to his brother’s outfit. “Only you could get away with stealing Piccolo’s clothes. What about the hat and cape?”

“I have too much hair for that hat,” Gohan chuckled. “And I would only end up throwing the cape away-“

Vegeta groaned. “This isn’t a family reunion! We came here to take care of business.”

Everyone grew serious and silent. As a wind blew sand around them, they turned towards their destination: Las Noches. Vegeta was right; this was no time to trade stories. Their family, friends, and all life in both universes depended on them now.

They understood the risks that they were about to take. Battling against nine powerful opponents and their fearsome leader that had hypnotized three of them was no small task. They could rely on the seven Senzu beans that they brought, but there were no Dragon Balls to bring them back if they died. Knowing all of this, they all proceeded without any doubts in their minds.

Before they took off, however, Gohan stopped them. “Hold on. I should give you guys the Senzu beans before we go.”

Gohan pulled a small brown sack from his sash and gave everyone a bean, but gave Goku and Vegeta a second one to hold on to. Once they secured their beans, Trunks started to feel movement in his palm. He opened up his hand, and out flew the tiny bug-like cameras.

“What in the world are those things?!” Goku questioned.

“Those are the cameras that everyone in the Soul Society is gonna watch us from,” Trunks answered as they flew out of their sight. “Guess we have to worry about them getting in our way.”

The group regained their focus and departed for the castle. Though the journey was farther than they anticipated, they arrived at Las Noches within a few minutes. Everyone, save for Vegeta, was awestruck at the massive size of Aizen’s fortress. Trunks noted that the castle didn’t show any structural damage and concluded that it must’ve been repaired since the Ichigo fought there. They began to search for an entrance, but the Saiyan prince couldn’t wait any longer to find his opponents.

“Stand aside!” he demanded as he outstretched his hand. “I’m blasting this wall down.”

“Hang on, Vegeta,” Gohan pleaded. “The main entrance should be somewhere around here.”

Vegeta growled as an energy ball formed in his palm. “What does it even matter? Whether we go through this wall or not, he already knows that we’re-“

The wall in front of the Z-Fighters exploded. They shielded their faces as sekkiseki debris and sand came flying at them.

“What’s going on?” Goten asked.

“I think it’s the welcoming committee,” Trunks responded.

The debris settled, but the dust persisted, causing the group to keep their guard up. As the smoke began to clear, Vegeta grinned and relaxed. 

“At least I won’t have to hunt you down now,” Vegeta said.

The dust finally cleared and revealed Grimmjow, bearing a toothy grin at Vegeta. “I thought I’d come find you before you got lost.”

“Hmph. Just tell them where they can find the rest of the Espada so they can get out of our way.

“Oh yea, I almost forgot. Aizen cut you guys some slack. He sent Aaronieiro, Zommari, and Szayelaporro to Karakura Town. It was a stupid move if you ask me, but hey, that’s fewer people for me to cut down before I take his head.”

The Z-Fighters all raised an eyebrow to the Espada. “You’re gonna do what?” Trunks asked.

Grimmjow turned to Trunks. “I’m gonna teach that bastard what true Saiyan power is all about.”

Goten and Trunks gasped. “Saiyan?!” Trunks sputtered. “You-you’re a Saiyan?”

“Wait, you’re father didn’t tell you?” Trunks shook his head and the Espada chuckled. “Of course he didn’t, so allow me to give you a quick rundown: you’re grandfather and my father were brothers, which makes widow’s peak and I cousins.”

“What the-we’re related?” Trunks turned towards Vegeta. “Dad, why didn’t you say anything?”

“Because it’s of little importance,” Vegeta answered. “The only thing that matters now is how quickly I can defeat him.”

Before Grimmjow could retort, they all sensed a power level coming from the roof of Las Noches. To the half-Saiyans, this power was foreign, but to the others, they knew exactly who they were sensing.

“Ulquiorra,” Grimmjow muttered.

An air of gravitas surrounded Goku as he put his two fingers to his forehead. “I guess it’s my turn, too. Good luck guys.”

Goku disappeared from their sight, leaving the hybrid Saiyans to figure out their next course of action.

However, they soon sensed another energy signal that came from the opposite side of the castle. “That one is Espada Three,” Gohan informed as he powered up his aura. “I’ll see you guys later.” 

As his brother and Trunks wished him luck, Gohan quickly departed to go meet his enemy.

“You two,” Grimmjow called out. “Go through the castle. You should find Nnoitra and Barragan eventually.” 

Goten nodded and turned to leave, but Trunks didn’t follow. 

“Hold on!” he called out to his father and Grimmjow. “If you’re both on the same side, then can’t you guys wait until after we fight Aizen to settle this?”

“Absolutely not!” Vegeta exclaimed. “We’ve waited long enough, and we won’t delay our fight any longer. Now get going!”

Trunks clenched his fists but yielded. There was no talking two pure Saiyans out of what they set their minds to. Trunks turned towards the castle, as he and Goten flew in to search for their opponents.

With no more distractions to hinder them, Grimmjow and Vegeta began to slowly approach each other.

Vegeta smirked. “I hope you’re not as pitiful as you were before.”

“Trust me,” Grimmjow responded. “You haven’t seen a quarter of the power I have now”

“Is that because of all your hard work, or did Aizen hand that to you, too?”

“All of this coming from a man who sold his soul to a wizard for power, just to be even with Kakarot.”

“I may have sold my soul once before, but at least I had enough pride to not pledge my loyalty again.”

The two now stood in front of each other and exchanged glares. Both of their grins had disappeared as they prepared themselves to brawl.

“So,” Vegeta started. “What made you decide that you were tired of being an underling?”

“I’ve always hated it, but now that I have the power to change that, I’ll make sure no one stands in my way again.”

Vegeta didn’t respond, as the two continued to stare at one another. Suddenly, they disappeared and reappeared in mid-air, clashing with their forearms. Vegeta pulled his arm away and threw a punch to Grimmjow’s jaw. Grimmjow slipped the punch and landed a roundhouse kick to Vegeta’s ribs. The prince doubled over but wrapped his arm around the Espada’s leg, as he rotated and threw him down towards the ground. Grimmjow slid down onto the sand and fired an energy blast at Vegeta. Vegeta put his hands up to block as the energy wave impacted and illuminated the black sky.

Vegeta quickly dashed out of the explosion and slammed Grimmjow over the head with a double hammer fist. While the Espada’s head was bent over, Vegeta front kicked him in the jaw, causing him to soar backward. As Vegeta continued his pursuit, Grimmjow regained his bearings and dug his heels in the sand to stop himself. Vegeta threw out a punch, but Grimmjow caught it and returned a punch of his own. Vegeta also caught his fist, and the two Saiyans stared each other down as they widened their stances and interlocked fingers.

“I guess you did get a little stronger after all,” Vegeta grunted.

“Hmph,” Grimmjow retorted. “I’ve already told you, you haven’t seen anything yet.”

Vegeta smirked, then pulled Grimmjow in and landed a push kick to his abdomen. The Espada slid back, and the two men paused before continuing their brawl.

“Enough warming up,” Vegeta snapped as he clenched his fists. “I don’t have time to play games with you.” 

“Then by all means,” Grimmjow replied. “Go ahead and power up so I can finally crush you.”

The sand around Vegeta began to rise as the pressure in the air grew. With a loud and fierce shout, Vegeta transformed into Super Saiyan Blue.

“Now,” Vegeta said. “Show me this power that you can’t seem to shut up about.”

Grimmjow started to chuckle as he partially drew his sword and put his fingertips on the blade. 

“ **GRIND!** ” he yelled as he clawed his Zanpakuto. “ **PANTERA!** ”

Grimmjow ripped his hands from his sword, causing an explosion to erupt around him. The dust settled to reveal the Sixth Espada transformed into his second Resurrección.

Vegeta folded his arms and scoffed at Grimmjow. “You seriously thought you would stand a chance against me with this level of strength? Did beating down on children inflate your ego that much? I’ll make this short for the both of-”

Grimmjow interrupted with his own uncontrollable laughter, which confused the Saiyan prince. “Vegeta, who said I was done?”

Vegeta uncrossed his arms and smiled. “Well, excuse me. Go right ahead.”

Grimmjow clasped his hands together as his energy began to increase. His hair started to flow upward and his eyes began to change from blue to green.

 _What the hell,_ Vegeta thought to himself. _What’s he up to-_

“HAAAAA!” Grimmjow’s long hair turned golden and he summoned a golden aura around him to compliment it.

Vegeta gasped at his cousin’s sudden leap in power, but then settled himself. _He stacked Super Saiyan on top of his other transformation. How could I not have anticipated this?_

Grimmjow grinned and bore his fangs at Vegeta. “Well prince, shall we resume?”

“Damn,” Vegeta muttered. “This is going to take longer than I thought.”

Though he was caught off guard, Vegeta smirked, and the two Saiyans prepared to resume their showdown.

* * *

“A SUPER SAIYAN?!” Ichigo shouted as he looked on at the battle. “When the hell was Grimmjow a Saiyan?”

“That’s a pretty large oversight on your part, Kurosaki,” Soifon scolded.

“How the hell was I supposed to know? He never showed me that. Damn, and we can’t even hear anything.” Ichigo turned to Kisuke, who was busy fiddling with knobs and switches on his control panel. “Kisuke! What’s up with the volume?”

“It’s out of my control,” Urahara replied. “Aizen’s jamming the audio signal from the other side.”

Ichigo turned around and continued to watch Grimmjow and Vegeta’s fight. “Shit, what if they’re saying something important and we’re missing it?”

“Ichigo, look!” Orihime told him. “Trunks and Goten made it out of the castle!”

Ichigo, with his eyes still glued to the same TV, replied, “Okay, can you let me know when Goten starts.”

“Hm? You don’t wanna watch Trunks?”

“I don’t have to. There’s no way he’s letting any Espada get the best of him after what happened before.”

While Ichigo continued to look at Vegeta’s fight, the group was gathered to observe the other Saiyans. However, they were briefly interrupted as a member of the Stealth Force appeared behind Soifon and knelt.

“Commander,” the woman said. “I have an urgent message from the Head Captain.”

Soifon quickly turned around. “Speak.”

“Espada Nine, Eight, and Seven, as well as an army of Arrancar, have arrived in the world of the living.”

The entire group turned around and gasped at the news. “Do they need reinforcements?” Toshiro asked.

“As of right now, no,” The Stealth Force member answered. “The Head Captain demanded that this group stay on task.”

“Is there anything else?” Soifon sternly asked.

“No, Commander.”

“Dismissed.” The woman disappeared, and the Soul Reapers turned back around to watch the live feeds in Hueco Mundo.

“I guess the guys are gonna have a shorter path to Aizen now,” Ichigo remarked.

Though Ichigo was correct, the Substitute Soul Reaper, nor anyone else could escape a sense of uneasiness. Did Aizen believe that the six Espada in Hueco Mundo were enough to defeat the Saiyans, or was he confident in his own abilities to take on all five of them single-handedly? Did he have another contingency plan in his back pocket, something akin to when he was able to seal the flames of Ryujin Jakka? All of these questions and concerns slowly trickled to the back of their heads as Goten and Trunks appeared to be on the brink of battle.

* * *

“My god,” Goten said as the two of them floated and marveled at the massive scenery that stretched for miles with dunes. “Does this place ever end?”

Trunks tilted his head towards the deep blue sky, noting the stark difference from the rest of Hueco Mundo. “How did he even get an artificial sun in here?”

“Don’t know, but it sure is bright. I wish these guys would come out already. I don’t wanna have to search all over this place for-”

Suddenly, both of them detected two power levels: one coming from the ground nearby, and the other to their left in the distance. They both instinctively summoned their Zanpakutos to their bodies as their eyes dropped to the ground. In front of them, about 100 yards away, stood Nnoitra staring right back at them.

“Ask, and you shall receive,” Trunks muttered as he grabbed the hilt of his sword.

Sensing that his friend’s energy was beginning to rise, Goten figured it was best to leave quickly. “Hopefully, that’s Barragan over there. Good luck, Trunks.”

Without taking his eyes off his opponent, Trunks replied, “You too.”

Goten soared off towards the source of the other energy signal, as Trunks dropped down and stood 30 yards from the Fifth Espada. Face to face once more, they glared each other either down, both eager to draw their weapons and battle.

As a quiet wind blew in between them, Nnoitra broke the silence with a smirk. “Hmph, you’re a fool if you think you’ll get the upper hand this time around. Today is the day that I finish you for good.”

Trunks did not respond, but instead dropped his hand from the handle of Zangetsu and balled up his fist. 

“What’s wrong?” Nnoitra asked. “Are you afraid? Second-guessing yourself, maybe?”

Trunks continued to glare into his enemy, but Nnoitra started to become annoyed with the Saiyan’s refusal to speak.

“Did you come here to fucking gawk at me like an idiot,” he jeered. “Or are you ready to have me cut you to pieces?”

Trunks tightened his fists as hard as he could while the veins in his neck and head began to protrude. He began to make quick, shallow breaths as he felt his blood boiling and his energy swelling. Nnoitra’s smug expressions quickly returned all of the traumatic memories from February 11th. Every horrid image flashed through his mind again in quick succession. For the destruction of Karakura Town, the deaths of innocent civilians, and the harm inflicted on Soifon, Trunks would do everything in his power to make sure Nnoitra would feel his wrath. After bottling his anger inside the Time Chamber for a year, and after all of the agony and pain of training in that dimension, he finally had his moment to unleash.

Trunks’ hair raised and turned light blonde as his body covered itself in the thick, blue aura of God Ki. Sand dispersed away from him and electricity rapidly shot from his body and danced around the battlefield. 

_How is this possible?_ Nnoitra asked himself as he looked on in disbelief. _There’s no way he’s this strong._

Trunks irises and pupils vanished as he grunted before releasing his maximum power.

“AAAAAAAHHHH!!”

The area around Trunks exploded and Nnoitra shielded his face from the massive amount of sand and smoke flying in his direction. As the dust settled, Nnoitra uncovered his face, but the full force of Trunks’ power caused his mouth to fall open. The Super Saiyan’s golden aura shot through the smoke and dispersed it. With his pupils and irises returned, and his bloodlust on full display, Trunks slowly approached the Espada. Nnoitra growled before quickly drawing his Zanpakuto to defend himself, but he couldn’t stop his hands from shaking.

“Let me explain something to you in case it’s not evident already,” Trunks said as he unsheathed his sword from his back. “I didn’t come here to gawk at you, and I certainly didn’t come to let you cut me down. I came here to end your miserable life, but more importantly…”

Trunks disappeared and reappeared directly in front of Nnoitra. The Espada jolted and gasped, causing Trunks to look up into his eyes and smirk.

Nnoitra grunted and shouted, “YOU DAMN BRAT!” as he thrust his Zanpakuto towards Trunks.

The Saiyan disappeared as the crescent blade hit the sand. Trunks reappeared behind him in mid-air with his back turned and sword over his shoulder. With a 180 degree spin and both hands tightly gripping the hilt, he swung Zangetsu and carved his blade into Nnoitra’s back, creating a large, diagonal slash from the Arrancar’s shoulder to his hip. Blood splattered out of the wound as the Espada cried out in anguish.

“More importantly,” Trunks continued. “I came here to make you suffer.”

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Took three weeks, but here it is. Juggling work, life, and a little bit of writer's block were tough, but I'm happy with where it got, and I'm excited about where it's going. Anyway, thanks for reading!


	15. Face Pollution

_I can count it on my fingers_

_I have all my reasons not to feel_

_I'm numb as rigor mortis_

_Scared by monkey faces_

_Drowned in shark fins_

_But I don't feel like feeling_

_I don't feel like feeling_

_I don't feel like feeling_

_Feeling like you_

* * *

  
  


Trunks landed on his feet as Nnoitra continued to wrench in agony. Blood continued to squirt from the wound and paint the sand beneath them crimson.

Trunks smirked. “What’s wrong? I thought you were supposed to have the toughest Hierro out of all the Espada. I shouldn’t have been able to cut through it that easily.”

“Cocky little bastard!” he cursed. “That was a sneaky little move!”

“Sneaky? Well, I guess if you consider that I stole it from a whiny, worthless, waste of space like you, then sure, call it sneaky.”

“You piece of shit! I’ll cut that arrogant tongue right out of your mouth!”

“Come on, I don’t have all day. Heal yourself and show me your full power before I lose my patience.”

Nnoitra growled and balled up his fists. The flow of blood stopped and within a few seconds, new skin formed over the gash. Save for the tear in his clothing, it was as if there had been no slash in the first place.

Nnoitra turned around and glared at Trunks with wide, bloodshot eyes. As he panted through his teeth, he stretched his blade to Trunks. “Your head is mine.”

Yellow spiritual pressure began from the Espada’s being and extended to his Zanpakuto. As his spiritual pressure intensified, Trunks watched on as sand began to fly towards him.

Nnoitra raised his blade to the sky and shouted, “ **PRAY, SANTA TERESA!”**

The spiritual pressure emanating from his Zanpakuto gathered in the space between his blade and shot in multi-directional beams that flew past Trunks. The Super Saiyan remained unphased as a typhoon of sand surrounded Nnoitra. The dust cleared and revealed Nnoitra’s new transformation. He emerged with a black shell covering his body, save for his chest and abdomen. Spikes protruded from his kneecaps, and a long, curved blade arched from his forearms. The eyepatch on his left eye disappeared, and the sclera of his right eye turned purple. He had two horns of yellow and black spiritual pressure on the sides of his head, and four scythes made of spiritual pressure came from his back.

Nnoitra grinned at Trunks as he stepped back and prepared to strike. “Now, let’s begin.”

Trunks’ facial expression did not change, but he raised his hand and motioned for Nnoitra to come forth. Nnoitra disappeared with his Sonido and reappeared beside Trunks, as swung his arm upward in an attempt to slice Trunks’ face. The Saiyan dodged the blade to the outside, but Nnoitra brought his arm downward to slash his neck. Trunks escaped into the air and the Espada chased him down, unleashing a flurry of strikes. Trunks was able to avoid all of the attacks, but suddenly, one of the scythes that protruded from above Nnoitra’s shoulder came hurling down at the Saiyan’s head. Trunks blocked the attack with his sword, and as another scythe diagonally rushed to his abdomen, he flew back to avoid it. The two floated in the sky and found themselves in yet another staredown. 

Trunks grinned. “So that’s all? Please tell me there’s something else up your sleeve.”

“That’s a lot of talk for someone who can’t stop running,” Nnoitra scowled.

“I haven’t even gotten close to breaking a sweat. You got a little stronger, and you grew four more scythes on your back. You have nothing to counter me if I attack you from a distance. Even if I fought you at a close range, you don’t even have the speed to scratch me. This is really disappointing.”

Nnoitra growled and balled up his fists, while his veins bulged from his forehead. “You goddamn Saiyan. How dare you mock me!”

“I’m just telling the truth. You can’t beat me, at all.”

The Espada stuck out his tongue and drove the blade on his forearm across it. As the blood raced from his mouth and into the air, a bright yellow ball started to form at the tip of his tongue. 

“AAAAAAHH!” he shouted out as a Gran Rey Cero shot out, distorting the space around it as it sped towards Trunks.

The Super Saiyan simply continued to grin as the attack impacted and burst. Nnoitra panted and watched carefully as a cloud of smoke shrouded where his enemy was. He was sure he had hit him, but he needed to see the damage for himself.

“Are your ears not working?!” Trunks called out from beyond the smoke.

Nnoitra gasped. “What? B-but how?”

Trunks suddenly appeared above the Espada’s head with no scratches or tears in his clothing. “Or are you just that dense?”

Trunks punched Nnoitra in the side of his head, sending him crashing face-first into the ground below. As he picked himself up from his hands and knees, Nnoitra turned his head to the sky to see Trunks with his hand outstretched towards him.

“Get up, or I’ll put you down for good.”

* * *

While Trunks had begun his revenge match with the Fifth Espada, Goten flew west of his friend, towards the energy signal that he was picking up. In the distance, he saw an old man sitting down on what appeared to be a white throne. From the description given to him, he knew that this was his enemy.

 _Well, here goes nothing,_ Goten sighed as he dropped and landed several yards away from him.

The two of them exchanged glares until Barragan began to speak. “You dare keep me waiting for this long?”

Goten smirked. “If you’re in such a rush to get your ass handed to you, then you should’ve come and found me.”

“Foolish boy,” Barragan replied as he gripped the arm of his chair. The throne shattered into pieces as the Espada stood up to address Goten. “You have neither the skill set nor the experience to face me in battle. I will disintegrate your bones and make you the dust that floats through this castle.”

“Blah, blah, blah. Talk is cheap, old man.”

The two stepped back as they prepared to go at one another. However, Goten still had a question on his mind before they engaged.

“Let me ask you something,” he said. “I heard that you turned on Aizen right before you died, so why are you working for him again if you hate him?”

“I indeed have a deep disdain for Aizen,” Barragan confirmed. “However, if he can complete his goal, I have been promised full reign of Hueco Mundo once more. No one, especially not a naive brat, is going to get in my way.”

“The name’s Goten. Being as old as you are, it’s probably harder to remember things. Don’t worry though, it’ll set in after your brain bounces around your skull a few times.”

Goten lunged forward before disappearing and reappearing beside Barragan. He quickly rotated his body and threw a spinning hook kick at the Espada’s head. Right before Goten’s boot could touch his face, Barragan used his Sonido to teleport behind him. Barragan reached his arm out to try to touch Goten, but the Saiyan turned and batted his arm away before throwing a punch to his face. Barragan slipped his punch and launched a punch to Goten’s ribcage. Goten jumped up and propelled himself into the air off of Barragan’s arm, flipping and twisting into the air before throwing a roundhouse kick to the Espada’s back. Barragan used his Sonido again to appear above Goten and try to grab his head. Goten jumped back to dodge it, and the two stood yards away from one another, plotting their next moves.

As soon as Goten attempted his first attack, he could tell that something wasn’t right. Fortunately for him, however, he had enough intel before their encounter to know exactly what was occurring.

_There’s definitely some sort of sphere of influence around him that’s slowing down my attacks. I think it’s about a foot radius all around him, maybe even less. Good thing we had that file; all of my bones would’ve turned to mush by now if I came in blind._

Before Goten had a chance to plan out his next course of action, Barragan closed the distance between them with a Sonido. He threw a roundhouse kick to Goten’s torso, but the Saiyan was able to dive over Barragan’s leg and land on his hands. However, before he could spring to his feet, the Espada caught him by his ankle. 

“Now watch closely,” Barragan said as he lifted Goten. “Observe the bones in your leg wither away into nothingness.”

The Espada waited a few seconds, but nothing happened. There was no pained expression, no agonizing scream coming from Goten, and his leg was still intact.

“Um, my leg feels fine,” Goten disputed. “Did you forget to turn it on or something?”

 _What?_ Barragan questioned. _I’m making contact with his leg. His bones should’ve been shattered by now.”_

Goten smirked before gritting his teeth and shouting out, “KAIOKEN!”

The young Saiyan’s body was suddenly enveloped in a vicious, red aura. He broke free from Barragan’s grip, and as he fell back onto his hands, Goten pushed himself upward to kick Barragan in the jaw. He then flipped forward and slammed the Espada over the head before elbowing him in his mouth, causing him to be launched back-first into the sand.

The old man sat up and wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth. “Well, I guess you aren’t as foolish as you let on.” He stood and summoned his large ax, Grand Caida, to his side. “Regardless, your death is imminent.”

Goten grinned as he drew his sword and powered down from Kaioken, only to replace it with Super Saiyan 2. The two of them abruptly disappeared and resumed clashing across the battlefield.

* * *

Back in the Soul Society, the Hueco Munro bound group watched as Goten and Trunks looked impressive in their early showings. However, there was true astonishment at how Goten was able to negate Barragan’s abilities, especially from Soifon.

“How is that possible?” She questioned. “He shouldn’t even be standing.”

“Before he transforms,” Hitsugaya started. “Barragan can rapidly age whatever he touches. Goten theorized that if he emitted his energy at the point of contact, Barragan’s touch wouldn’t be enough to wither his body. He baited him, and when Barragan dropped his guard, Goten used a technique called the Kaioken to boost his speed, rendering both of his abilities useless in one instance.”

Soifon clenched her fist and did not respond. _Dammit, that’s brilliant. He’s handling all of this so well, while I looked like a fool facing him._

“This is all thanks to you, Captain,” Toshiro continued. “All of the data you gathered helped him form these strategies.”

Though everyone was impressed by Goten’s battle prowess, Toshiro could not escape the concerns that still floated around his mind.

_But what happens when there is no plan? What if his second release form is unpredictable, or if Aizen is too much to handle? Goten, I know you have no problem with taking risks, but please be careful._

* * *

The Saiyan and the Espada continued to clash across the desert, creating shockwaves each time their blades collided. As they flew high above the sand, Barragan rushed at Goten and bore his ax down on him. Goten used his Zanpakuto to block and parry Barragan’s weapon. The half-Saiyan used the briefing opening to slice Barragan’s chest before following up with an energy push to send him backward. As Barragan was forced away, he fired a red Cero from his hand. Goten put his two hands over his forehead and fired a Masenko to counter. The two energy beams clashed, but the Masenko quickly pushed the Cero back, swallowing Barragan up before exploding.

Barragan fell to the sand, as Goten looked down at him from the air. His clothes were torn, his face was bruised and cut, and the blood from the slash across his chest dripped down onto his white uniform.

The Second Espada glared up to Goten with seething rage. “DAMN YOU, SAIYAN! YOU DARE TRY TO HUMILIATE ME?!”

“I already told you,” Goten responded. “My name is Goten.”

“Your name will fade away with your flesh and bones very shortly.” Barragan lifted Grand Caida and flipped it upside down. “ **Rot, Arrogante!** ”

Goten watched as Barragan’s body was enveloped in black and purple spiritual pressure. _Well, this is it. Hopefully, I get to walk out of this one with all my appendages._

The dark spiritual pressure surrounding Barragan gave way to a brighter, fuchsia-colored aura. The second Espada emerged with an entirely new appearance to accompany his Segunda Etapa transformation. His face turned to bone, but the holes of his eyes glowed with spiritual pressure. The crown on his head that was initially made of bone expanded and turned into gold. Four bone tusks emerged from his neck, all covered with red spiritual pressure at their tips. A black fur coat draped from his back and legs, and blade-like ornaments were attached to his hip with large gold chains crossing between them. He sported gold bracelets around his bony wrists, and his skeletal right arm was gold plated. Fuschia-colored spiritual pressure flowed from his torso, while ribs floated in front of his hollow body. His skeletal fingers gripped a new Grand Caida, which now had gold plating in the center of the ax, complemented by a large gemstone that glowed red.

“Well, that’s...colorful,” Goten muttered to himself. “I can’t lie though, he’s looking pretty stylish.”

Goten chuckled and yelled down to the Espada below. “Hey, Barragan! If you quit now, you could always start a career in modeling. Why be the King of Hueco Mundo when you can go out and be a fashion icon, right?”

Barragan looked up at Goten through his glowing eye holes but did not respond. However, a thick, black mist developed around him and shot out towards Goten. The Super Saiyan quickly dashed away, but Barragan’s Respira was hot on his tail. Goten moved to the ground and tried to rapidly move to avoid it. He raced across the dunes, quickly changing directions, but he still could not escape the deadly miasma.

 _It’s a lot faster than I thought it’d be,_ Goten thought as he tried to gain more separation. _Shit, I gotta shake this somehow-”_

Goten put his foot down to pivot, but his leg fell farther than he thought it should have. He quickly looked down and saw that the sand beneath him was caving in. Goten, figuring that Barragan was decaying the sand from underneath his feet, jumped up to avoid it. However, maroon pillars of light started to emerge around him. Barragan lifted his ax and slammed it down, causing the spiritual pressure surrounding Goten to detonate.

Dust surrounded the area, but Goten flew out of the smoke and darted away from Barragan. _Well, that’s a new one. Let’s see how much range he has._

Goten continued to fly away and soon after, the black mist stopped its pursuit. Goten turned and looked back at his enemy. _Looks like that’s about… a couple football fields away. Alright, now to put that mist to the test._

As he floated high in the air, Goten formed a large energy ball in his hand and launched it past the Respira and down to Barragan. The miasma disappeared and returned to shield Barragan from the incoming blast. However, before it could impact, the blast split into two and flew to the sides of Barragan. As the balls came closer to the Espada, his Respira retracted to his body and expanded in all directions, causing the energy to decay and disappear.

 _It retracts fast, and it’s omnidirectional,_ Goten sighed. _Fantastic._

Just as he was trying to think of another plan, Barragan swiftly appeared behind the Super Saiyan, causing him to gasp as he quickly swiveled his body. _Oh yea, Sonido… FUCK!_

Barragan released his Respira, but Goten was able to react swiftly, powering up and projecting his aura to defend himself. Although he was able to repel the mist for a few seconds, it slowly started to eat its way through, causing Goten to retreat again. With Respira inching closer to its target, Goten found himself with limited options.

“MASENKO, HA!” Goten shouted as he blasted his yellow energy beam at the mist. The two collided, but yet again, the mist decayed his energy faster than Goten could output it. As Respira crept closer towards his hands, Goten abandoned his attack and fled out of its range, landing on the ground below.

“Jeez,” the young Saiyan thought aloud. “It’s almost like he’s trying to kill me or something-”

From the edge of his peripheral vision, Goten saw that one of the ends of his knotted blue obi was rotting away and slowly approaching his body. Goten gasped and promptly took out his sword, pinching the piece of the garment closest to the knot before slicing it off. He quickly checked all around his body for any other signs of Respira, and once he was in the clear, he calmed himself down.

Goten breathed a large sigh of relief. “Phew. That was a close one. Guess I better get serious.”

As he powered up to Pseudo Blue, Goten raised his Zanpakuto and yelled out, “ **Reign Over the Frosted Heavens, Hyourinmaru!”**

His Zanpakuto transformed into it’s Shikai form, and Goten stepped back and prepared to fight.

“You truly are a fool after all,” chastised Barragan. “Do you believe you can challenge me without a Bankai?”

“I do, actually,” Goten answered. “This is more than enough to take you down.”

* * *

Outside of the castle, on the opposite side of where Trunks and Goten had originally entered, Gohan and Tier Halibel stood across from each other. Both exchanged equally solemn gazes, but neither looked like they were anxious to fight the other.

“Listen,” Gohan started. “If Aizen’s been keeping tabs on us, then you probably know that I’m not one to look for a fight.”

“Nor am I,” Halibel replied through the coat that covered her mouth. “I prefer not to engage in combat unless necessary.”

“That’s good to hear. I think we can avoid fighting altogether. I heard that Aizen betrayed you back in the Karakura Town battle. If that’s true, then you don’t have to serve him anymore, and we can all-”

“Make no mistake, just because I find fighting unnecessary, it doesn’t mean that I will be persuaded to side with my enemy.”

“But why? Why would you still serve someone that killed you on a whim? Don’t you see that you’re just a pawn in his game?”

“I am a soldier in Lord Aizen’s army. I was disposed of before because I could not prove my value to him. I cannot and will not fail him again, and if that requires me to defeat you, then so be it.”

Gohan sighed, then stepped back into his fighting stance. “Well, at least I tried. I was hoping we could see eye to eye, but I guess I’ll have to take you down to get to Aizen.”

Halibel stepped back and wrapped her finger around a hole located on the side of her Zanpakuto’s guard. “Historically, your overconfidence has been your downfall.”

Gohan grinned. “Sure, but with all of the training I’ve gone through, I guess you can say I’m more self-assured if anything.”

From his calm body language, Halibel could tell that something had changed within Gohan. He didn’t look upon her with contempt or hatred. On the contrary, it was like he was staring through her. However, she pushed this to the back of her mind as she leaped towards him.

Using her Sonido, she teleported beside Gohan, yanked her sword out its sheath, and grabbed the hilt, attempting to diagonally slash him. Gohan grabbed her arm before it could swing down, and pulled her in to land a back fist on her cheek. He then side kicked her in the stomach, causing her to soar back. However, Halibel was able to regain her bearings and jumped back at Gohan, attacking him with a flurry of sword strikes. Gohan dodged them all with ease before kicking her legs from under her. Halibel fell onto her hands and pushed herself up into the sky. As she flew up, she pulled her Zanpakuto back to the side of her head.

Yellow spiritual pressure rapidly formed around Halibel’s blade. “OLA AZUL!” she yelled as she thrust her blade forward, releasing an energy projectile at Gohan.

Gohan simply batted Halibel’s attack back at her. Although she was able to dodge her Ola Azul, she gasped when she saw that Gohan had launched a large, yellow energy beam at her. She had no time to do anything else, save for attempting to block, as she made contact with the beam and disappeared with the explosion.

The dust dissipated to unveil the Espada’s damage: scratches and bruises painted her now bare forearms, and a large gap in her coat revealed the hollow mask that made up her mouth. Halibel dropped her guard and held out her Zanpakuto, inverting her grip and pointing downwards. Gohan prepared himself for her Resurreciòn, continuing to look up at her with unwavering determination. 

“Answer me this,” Halibel bellowed down to Gohan. “I don’t sense any malice in your attacks. Aren’t you here to exact your revenge on me for what happened on your planet?”

“No,” Gohan answered. “It’s just like you said: you’re a soldier, and soldiers only do what they’re told. I’d rather take my revenge on the person giving orders, not the person following them.”

“Very well.” Halibel tightened her grip on her hilt as her body started to radiate with yellow spiritual pressure. “ **Hunt, Tiburòn.** ”

A giant wave of heart-shaped water surged from her back before collapsing on her. Gohan watched on as he felt her spiritual pressure rapidly increase, but the Saiyan’s countenance was still unchanged. The water burst and rained down to the ground below, revealing the Third Espada’s Segunda Etapa form.

Halibel’s hollow mask had vanished, and blue, lightning-like markings ran down the sides of her, complimenting her eyes the glowed bright blue. Her hair turned completely white and several braids draped down to her knees, while two black and white, jagged structures protruded from the sides of her head. Her breasts and neck were covered by yellow spiritual pressure. Her left arm gained a black and grey gauntlet from her wrist to her elbow. Her right arm sported the same structure, but her hand disappeared into a sword-like mass of spiritual pressure, surrounded by a grey, floating hilt with three bone-like arrows extending outward, forming the sword. Both arms also jutted a grey and white structure from them that resembled waves: a smaller one on her left arm that stretched from the underside of her wrist to her elbow, and a larger one on her right hand that extended from underneath her wrist to her shoulder. She now bore a shark's fin on her back and two grey and white fabrics hung down her waist, while a long tail extended from behind her. Both of her legs were covered in a thin, black armor, and rock-like pauldrons were fixed onto her kneecaps, while her calves bore small, grey wings. 

Halibel raised her Zanpakuto to Gohan as a mass of high-pressure water formed at the tip of her sword. “La Gota,” she murmured, firing a large, water projectile down to Gohan.

He was able to dodge it, but several more masses of water came rapidly approaching him from above. Gohan turned and dashed away from them, and continued to do so Halibel continued to launch her attacks through the air. Gohan turned around and darted towards her in an attempt to close the distance, but Halibel used her Sonido to appear right in front of him. Gohan gasped before she landed a punch to his cheekbone. Halibel then tried to downwardly slash Gohan’s neck, but he was able to evade it. However, on the upswing, her sword began to glow, and Halibel launched a wide Cero at the Saiyan, illuminating the dark atmosphere of the Hollow world.

Gohan flew downward, covering his face as his pants were torn and his shirt was slightly ripped. He uncovered his face, and the Espada appeared in front of him again, pointing her blade a few inches in front of his chest. Gohan jolted, knowing that he had no time to counter the next attack.

“This is where you end,” Halibel said. “Cascada.”

From point-blank range, a torrent of water shot at Gohan, engulfing him before hitting the ground. The massive amounts of high-pressure water flooded the ground below and created a sea of murky water. Halibel looked down from above and assumed that her opponent was either incapacitated or dead. She turned and prepared to retreat to Las Noches.

Suddenly, a strong energy signal came from underneath the water. Halibel’s eyes widened as she turned to see the water splitting, revealing Gohan. As the muddy water parted for the Saiyan, he rose to face the Espada once more.

“That wasn’t too bad,” he remarked as he stretched his neck from side to side and rotated his arms. “But how about I turn things up a notch.”

Gohan clenched his fists and let off a yell as he drew more of his power out. Tier Halibel could only look on in bewilderment as Gohan’s energy rapidly increased. 

“I’m ready now,” Gohan said while he put his hands up to fight. “Go ahead and make your move.”

The Espada settled herself and charged at Gohan. Before she reached him, she used her Sonido to teleport behind him. Without turning, Gohan backhanded her in her nose and kicked in her stomach. As she hunched over, Gohan clasped his hands together and slammed her over the head, sending her flying towards the ground. He pursued as she fell, but Halibel was able to recover and swing a wide Cero at the Saiyan. This time, however, Gohan was able to anticipate it, as he teleported behind the Espada.

Halibel gasped. _He’s learned Instant Transmission?_

Gohan kicked her in the back, launching her into the air as he teleported above her again and dug his fist into her abdomen. Halibel soared down to the ground and crashed into the sand below.

Blood dripped down from her nose while the Third Espada struggled to stand up. She looked up at Gohan and tried to come up with any plan that would ensure her victory.

“It’s over, Halibel,” he declared. “I don’t want to kill you, but if you can’t concede, then I’ll have no choice.”

The Espada steadied herself and stood tall. “As I long as I fight for Lord Aizen, I will never concede.”

“As you wish.” Gohan brought his arms behind and cupped his hands in preparation for his final attack. “Kaaaa. Meeee. Haaaa. Meeee…”

A glowing blue energy ball formed between his two hands, and as Gohan was on the verge of launching his blast, Halibel forced her spiritual pressure into Tiburòn in a last-ditch attempt to defend herself. _Apacci, Sung-Sun, Mila Rose, Lord Aizen… forgive me._

Suddenly, they both detected multiple energy levels in the distance, and just as Gohan turned his head to look, he caught wind of a large, red Cero racing towards him. He was able to dash out of the way in time, and as the energy dissipated from his hands, he dropped his head to watch as three Arrancar landed next to Halibel. Gohan inferred that these were her Fracciòn: Emilou Appacci, Cyan Sung-Sun, and Franceska Mila Rose. They surrounded their leader, already transformed into their Resurreciòn states.

“Master Halibel, are you okay?” asked Mila Rose.

Halibel settled herself and wiped her nose before sternly addressing her subordinates. “You disobeyed my orders.”

“I tried to get them to stop,” Sung-Sun responded as she covered her mouth with her sleeve. “But they were too headstrong to listen to me.”

“Shut it, Sung-Sun!” barked Appaci. “We all agreed on this together.”

“Hmph, I only said yes because you two threatened me if I refused.”

“We did nothing of the sort,” Mila Rose refuted.

“What the hell?!” Apacci shouted. “That’s a load of horse-”

“Enough!” Halibel snapped. Her Fracciòn jolted and stopped bickering. “I will face him alone. The three of you need to leave, immediately.”

“Master, please,” pleaded Mila Rose. “Let us fight with you.”

Apacci chimed in. “Yea, there’s no way he can take us all on at once.” Her fiery gaze slowly became dampened with sadness. “We… we don’t want to lose you again.”

Halibel took a moment to think before responding. To protect her pride and her underlings from harm, she desired to face Gohan by herself, though that endeavor proved fruitless. However, as much as she wanted them all to survive, she equally wanted to complete the mission given to her by her superior.

“Alright,” Halibel finally relented. “But be cautious. Even for the four of us, this won’t be easy.”

Mila Rose and Appaci grinned, and the Espada and her Fracciòn now turned their attention to the Saiyan waiting in the sky.

“Looks like you guys finally got your act together,” Gohan smirked as he dropped down to the ground.

Appaci growled and pointed at him. “Just you wait, jackass! You’re gonna pay for what you did to Master Halibel. I’ll make you wish you never even woke up today.”

 _Jackass?_ Gohan asked himself as he raised his eyebrows. _I’m not the one shouting and calling people names._

Gohan put his fists up and readied himself for the assault. “Four against one, huh? Whatever happened to a fair fight?”

“This is war,” Mila Rose answered. “Who dictates what is fair?”

“Valid point. Well, ladies first.”

The four Arrancar charged Gohan and circled him, as the half-Saiyan soon found himself guarding and dodging attacks from all sides. He was able to kick Appaci away and use an energy push to repel Sung-Sun, but Mila Rose managed to grab his arm long enough for Halibel to land a knee strike to his ribcage. Gohan winced in pain, but grabbed Mila Rose and hurled her into Halibel’s chest. He had no time to pursue them, however, as the two other Fracciòn appeared before him and continued to attack him. Gohan quickly countered them, landing an elbow on Appaci and following with a kick to Sung-Sun.

Halibel swiftly appeared behind Gohan, and just as he turned around, he was met with a sharp fist to his liver. As his body was folded over, Halibel attempted to stab him in the back. Gohan reacted just in time to catch the sword with both hands. However, he was then punched in the cheek by Mila Rose before being drop-kicked from above by Appaci, sending him careening away. Gohan’s back slid into the sand, but he managed to push himself up to flip onto his feet. The Arrancar landed, and once again, Gohan found himself surrounded.

“Told ya,” Appaci smirked. “Should’ve stayed in bed.”

 _Dammit,_ Gohan thought to himself. _This isn’t what I was hoping for, but… it’s what I trained for._ He grinned and wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth onto his hand. “Don’t worry, I adapt quickly. By the way, I hope that’s not the best you can do. My six-year-old hits harder than that.”

“Asshole! I’ll rip your face off!”

Gohan dashed towards their leader, attempting to take the offensive against Halibel and the Tres Bestias.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sooo couple of things... again:
> 
> Don't usually post on Tuesday, but that chapter was done, so I figured why wait till the weekend to post.
> 
> I've gone back and done a lot of editing on chapters 1-7... again. It's just... very sloppy.
> 
> There was a lot of detail put into the new espada forms, I know, but if my illustration doesn't help that much, you can always look up 'CFYOW (Insert Espada name)' and the image there should paint a better picture than I did
> 
> Also, I'm liking the bi-weekly thing. It gives me more time to write and edit better.
> 
> As always, thanks for reading, thank you for the support, and I'll see you next time when Goku gets his rematch with Ulquiorra.


	16. First Mistake, Last Mistake

_They killed my wife and my baby_

_With hopes to enslave me_

_First mistake…_

_LAST MISTAKE!_

* * *

Using his Instant Transmission, Goku transported himself onto the roof of Las Noches, where Ulquiorra Cifer patiently waited. The Espada’s lifeless gaze peered into Goku, but the Saiyan stared back with grinning anticipation.

“You came to face me without any hesitation or fear,” Ulquiorra observed. “Do you not remember what transpired on Planet Vampa?”

“Yea, of course,” Goku responded. “But I’ve been waiting to get another crack at you for months. It’s been a while since I’ve been this eager for a fight.”

“You’re a very peculiar person. It seems that you are drawn in more by the prospect of battle than the purpose of your mission.”

The smile on Goku’s face slowly dropped. “Just because I’m excited to fight, it doesn’t mean I forgot why I’m here. You guys are gonna pay for all of the horrible things you’ve done.”

“Regardless of your motives, the mission given to me by Lord Aizen is to eliminate all intruders. Taking your life will be the first step to accomplish just that.”

Goku got into his fighting stance and smirked. “Just go ahead and try it.”

Ulquiorra made the first move, appearing in front of Goku with his Sonido to throw a roundhouse kick to his head. Goku blocked it and countered with a straight punch, but Ulquiorra quickly parried it and tried to land a backhand to the side of his head. Goku ducked under and gripped his arm and cloak on his chest. The Espada gasped as he felt himself being lifted off of his feet before Goku turned his body to Judo flip him over his shoulder, slamming Ulquiorra into the ground. As soon as he tried to follow up with a strike to his enemy’s head, Goku noticed Ulquiorra preparing to launch a Bala at him. Goku was able to jump back and dodge it, however, this gave Ulquiorra enough time to jump back onto his feet and charge at the Saiyan.

Drawing his sword from his hip, Ulquiorra swung his Zanpakuto horizontally at Goku’s face. The Saiyan bent backward to avoid it and as he fell to the ground. He managed to kick Ulquiorra in his chest with both legs, sending him straight up into the air. Goku flipped over and sprung his body into the sky to pursue his target, but the Espada stopped himself and dashed back towards Goku, unleashing a flurry of high-speed sword strikes. Goku was able to dodge his blade, but he could not slip past a spinning back kick that landed on his abdomen, sending him flying towards one of the towers that protruded from the roof. He was able to regain balance and propel himself from the side of the tower back towards Ulquiorra.

As he drew closer to the Espada, Goku pulled his fist back to punch, but his enemy had already swung his sword down to cut him. However, Ulquiorra’s Zanpakuto only cut through the air, as he looked down to see an Afterimage dissipating before his eyes. Appearing behind Ulquiorra, Goku slammed the Espada in the back, sending him down towards the ground. His body bounced as it made contact with the rooftop, but as Goku chased him down from above, Ulquiorra leaped to his feet and launched a Cero from the tip of his finger. Goku quickly countered with a Kamehameha wave, and a large blast boomed above Las Noches. The Saiyan dropped down from the explosion and stared down the melancholic Arrancar.

“Hey!” Goku called out. “What’s your deal?”

“What do you mean?” Ulquiorra asked.

“Usually, I can feel someone’s feelings when they’re fighting, but you’re so… empty.”

“Unnecessary feelings would only hinder my ability to fulfill my duties. Moments before my death at the hands of Ichigo Kurosaki, however, I finally began to understand the purpose of emotions, and how people tend to hold them in their hearts. Tell me, Goku, what is it that you hold in your heart?”

“Um, my heart? Hm… ” Goku stood up straight and put his hands on his hips, then scratched the back of his head as he continued to ponder. “Well, I guess… I guess I have my friends, family, and I keep my love for fighting in there, too. It’s ‘cus of all of those things that I can’t lose now.”

“I see.” Large amounts of Ulquiorra’s dark spiritual pressure began to leak from his body. “Then in my heart, I hold my loyalty, as well as my desire to make any fool who dares to stand in Lord Aizen’s way taste true despair.”

Ulquiorra raised his sword and pointed the tip of his blade at Goku. “ **Imprison, Murcielago.”**

Dense spiritual pressure began to swirl around him and kicked up dust. Goku watched and smiled as he could feel his enemy’s power begin to intensely surge. _Alright, looks like he’s finally getting serious._

The green and black spiritual pressure gave way, unveiling the transformation that Ulquiorra revealed in their previous battle. “Resurrecciòn: Tercera Etapa.”

Goku clenched his fists while his hair stood up straight. He let out a guttural shout and powered up to Super Saiyan Blue.

Ulquiorra raised his hand and pointed his finger towards his enemy. “Since you don’t seem to feel any fear, allow me to instill it into you before you die.” He began to charge spiritual pressure at his fingertip and formed a large ball of energy. “Cero Oscuras- Aplastado.”

The Espada launched a Cero at Goku that stretched a wide range. Goku was seemingly engulfed by the blast, as it swiftly erased parts of the buildings in front of it and disappeared into the distance. He teleported behind Ulquiorra, but the Espada quickly shot his tail out and wrapped it around the Saiyan’s neck. He lifted him and slammed Goku’s face into the ground. As his head bounced, Goku was able to plant his feet and grab the tail. He pivoted his feet and spun Ulquiorra around several times before launching him into the air.

Ulquiorra soared high into the sky, but when he was able to control himself once more, he looked towards the ground and lost sight of Goku. Suddenly, the God Saiyan appeared in front of him and repeatedly used Instant Transmission to change his location. Ulquiorra could not keep his eyes on him long enough to mount an attack, and just when he thought he could predict Goku’s next position, he was met with a side kick to his jaw, sending him back towards the last remaining tower. Ulquiorra was able to stop himself just before his back touched the wall of the structure, but Goku quickly flew to him and slammed him into it. As the tower crumbled down to the floor, the two clashed fists and exchanged blows hundreds of times over, creating shockwaves and sparking lighting across the battlefield.

Goku began to pressure Ulquiorra with a succession of punches, eventually landing an uppercut on his chin before thrusting a blue energy sphere into his stomach. The energy ball burst and sent Ulquiorra across the sky. Goku tried to close the gap between them, but the Espada locked his eyes on his target and opened up his right hand.

“Lanza del Relámpago,” he uttered, and a green javelin of flaming spiritual pressure appeared in his hand. Goku raised his eyebrows in confusion until Ulquiorra launched the spear at Goku’s face. He narrowly avoided the attack, but he watched as it sailed off in the distance and created a massive eruption that dwarfed Las Noches in height. As the wind from the blast rushed into Goku’s face, his mouth gaped open at the sheer destructive force of Ulquiorra’s attack, but also at his willingness to launch it from that close of a range. Had Goku taken the blast head-on, he could survive, but everyone else in the vicinity that was unaware would not.

“Do you see now?” Ulquiorra asked. “There is no point in having hope. One way or another, you will all die here.”

Goku turned around and grinned at the Espada. “Hmph, that’s a pretty strong move, but it’s gonna take a lot more than that to scare me.”

“Very well.” Ulquiorra opened up both of his hands, and spears appeared in both of his hands for him to wield.

As his enemy charged him once more, Goku couldn’t help but give a nervous giggle. “Well, I hope the others are having a better time than me right now.”

Suddenly, he detected the power levels from Grimmjow and Vegeta, as well as the ones coming from Gohan’s battle, and it was at this point that Goku began to realize that something was awry.

* * *

The Saiyan Prince found himself on the defensive against the Sixth Espada, who relentlessly aimed to dig his claws into his prey.

“Come on, Prince,” Grimmjow goaded as he continually attempted to slash Vegeta. “You were so confident before. What happened to ending this early?”

Vegeta did not respond as he continued to block and slip past Grimmjow’s attacks. However, he could not dodge a slash that cut across his cheek. Grimmjow followed up with an intense roar that was strong enough to push Vegeta back. As he sent his opponent away, Grimmjow launched 5 small missiles from his elbow, all headed straight for the Saiyan Prince. Vegeta controlled himself and was able to avoid three of them, but the remaining two made contact with his right shoulder and left thigh. The missiles detonated, filling the air with smoke.

Grimmjow looked on with a twisted smile, but Vegeta soon darted out of the dust and landed a punch to the Espada’s stomach. Though Grimmjow bent over in pain, he quickly recovered and landed a strike on Vegeta’s ribs before spinning and kicking Vegeta in his back, sending him crashing down to the ground. Vegeta was fast to stagger back to his feet and looked up as Grimmjow had now summoned ten blades of Reishi, each emitting from one of the claws on his hands.

“Desgarròn!” he shouted as he lifted his hand and threw his attack down Vegeta. The God Saiyan was able to leap away as the blue Reishi hit the ground, but Grimmjow had already launched the second wave of Degarròn at Vegeta. Though the Saiyan Prince tried to fly back to evade it, Grimmjow swung his arm upwards, causing the Reishi blades to follow their target. Vegeta fired off five blasts to destroy Grimmjow’s attack, and though four of them impacted and dissipated, one of the blades diverged from its original path and narrowly dodged Vegeta’s blast. He gasped as it dug through his Saiyan armor and created a horizontal gash across his chest. Vegeta dug his heels into the sand and stopped himself, as blood flowed out his chest and onto the rest of his armor and pants.

“You’re not looking too good over there, Vegeta,” Grimmjow said as he dropped down to the ground. “Maybe you should eat a Senzu bean.”

Though Vegeta’s most notable wound was the cut across his chest, other injuries began to take their toll on him. He had difficulty putting pressure on his left leg, while he felt that his right shoulder was dislocated. He now gripped his arm and grunted at the Espada, but the scowl on his face gave way to a grin, much to Grimmjow’s confusion.

“I have to hand it to you, Grimmjow,” Vegeta started. “You have gotten stronger, I’ll give you that, but even when I'm in this state, you won’t come close to defeating me.”

“Hmph, overconfident to the point of delusion. Even for you, this is a new low.”

“Well, now that I think about it, I haven’t ever used my full power on Earth, so I wouldn’t expect you to witness it on whatever cameras you've used to spy on us.” Vegeta put his hand on his shoulder and forcibly realigned the joint. “Now before we finish this, I still have one question to ask you. Did you try to stop Aizen when he attacked Sadala?”

Grimmjow’s heart skipped as he clenched his fists and lowered his head. “You think I wanted that to happen? I pleaded with that bastard in every way I could think of, but he wouldn’t give in, and then he…”

Vegeta observed as his enemy shut his eyes and prevented himself from speaking further. “And then he what?”

Grimmjow struggled but finally managed to mutter the words out. “He made me do it.”

Vegeta’s eyes widened, as the fury inside him began to intensely build. “You mean to tell me that, in sound mind and body, you betrayed our Saiyan race with your own hands? You… you disgust me. You should’ve died before doing such a cowardly thing, and now, I’ll make you wish you did.”

Vegeta’s energy violently emanated from his body, causing Grimmjow to shield his face from the dust of the sand that flew towards him. _How?!_ The Espada questioned. _I had him beaten! How could he still have this much energy left?_

“Allow me to show you the pinnacle of Saiyan power.” Vegeta widened his stance and began to power up. His muscles rapidly expanded and his aura began to pulsate. He let out a fierce shout as his entire body glowed bright, temporarily blinding Grimmjow. When he was able to see again, he gasped at Vegeta’s new appearance and level of strength. His hair and eyes took on a darker shade of blue, while his aura sported the same coloring with sparkling particles to compliment.

“This is what I call Ascended Super Saiyan Blue, a form I achieved when I found myself pushed to my absolute limit, only to surpass it.”

Grimmjow continued to tremble at Vegeta’s new form, but the Prince of Saiyans wasted no time rushing towards the Espada and landed a hook to his jaw. He then unloaded a torrent of strikes onto Grimmjow’s face and sternum before appearing behind him and kicking him in the back. Before Grimmjow could control himself, Vegeta quickly flew in front of them and launched a kick to his stomach that sent him into the air. Grimmjow stopped himself high up in the air, and as Vegeta pursued him from below, Grimmjow raced down and tried to sink his claws into his enemy. However, Vegeta caught both of his wrists as the two warriors exchanged close glares of rage.

“How pathetic,” Vegeta chastised. “You’re probably aren’t even aware of it are you?”

“Aware of what?” Grimmjow grunted as he struggled to free his hands.

“You’ve been so wrapped up in yourself that you haven’t even sensed that your power level has been decreasing for a while now. Let me guess, you just discovered how to combine your transformations, and now your body can’t handle the stress because you haven’t trained long enough.” Vegeta's fiery expression slightly softened, as he quietly added, “What a pity.”

He pulled the Espada in and kneed him in the stomach before slamming him in the back, causing him to soar to the ground. Just as Grimmjow’s body hit the sand, Vegeta fired off a barrage of yellow energy blasts at him, each one detonating on top of the other. Dust filled the area, as Vegeta watched from above to see what Grimmjow’s next move would be.

The smoke slowly scattered away, revealing a battered and beaten Grimmjow on his feet. He panted heavily, as damage inflicted by Vegeta and the stress from his transformations had caused his body to near its limit. However, he looked up at Vegeta’s softened scowl, and he was once again filled with anger. It was the same, condescending look that Ichigo had given him once before, and it was just as Aizen had constantly gazed upon him as well. To be stared down at with pity was the ultimate insult, and it fueled one last effort out of the Espada.

“Who the hell do you think you are?” he mumbled. “You keep looking down at me with those eyes. I hate those goddamn eyes!” 

Grimmjow’s energy erupted from his body as he widened his stance and brought his inverted hands to his chest. In preparation, Vegeta began to charge his energy into his hands.

“I AM THE KING!” Grimmjow yelled out as his body and hands emanated fuschia-colored energy. “GALICK GUUUUN!”

He threw his hands forward and launched a massive energy beam at Vegeta, who remained unphased as he curled his fingers and calmly brought his hands to each side of his chest. “Gamma Burst…” Vegeta then inverted his hands inwards and thrust them out. “FLAAAAASH!”

Grimmjow’s Galick Gun nearly reached Vegeta, but the Saiyan Prince released a yellow energy beam that not only eclipsed Grimmjow’s attack but immediately forced it back towards him. The Espada could only helplessly watch as Vegeta’s blast came racing at him, but in the midst of his demise, he couldn’t help but have one last thought float through his mind.

_Dammit, after everything I gave up, after everything I went through, I still wasn’t strong enough. Oh well, if anyone was gonna do me in, I guess it’s good that it was you, Prince._

Grimmjow disappeared in the blast as it burst and caused an enormous explosion. The shockwaves traveled across Hueco Mundo and destroyed sections of Las Noches’ outer wall. The dust settled and revealed a giant crater of sand, with Grimmjow reverted to his normal state, lying face-up but motionless in the center. His shirt had vanished and his pants were torn from the knee up. Cuts and bruises lined his body and arms, while a cut on his forehead bled profusely down the side of his face.

Vegeta powered down to his base form and dropped down next to his opponent. He fixed his eyes on him and temporarily lost himself in thought.

 _You fool. I used to look up to you, and now you’ve turned around and done something so disgraceful._ Vegeta balled up his fists. _God, it makes me so sick! How could you go against everything we stood for?_

Although he felt his anger was justified, Vegeta calmed himself before opening the part of his jumpsuit that surrounded his neck. He reached in with his other hand and pulled out a Senzu bean. He knelt and opened up Grimmjow’s hand, placing the bean in his palm and closing his fingers around it.

Vegeta stood up and took one final look at his Saiyan relative. _If you're so fixated on defeating Aizen to redeem yourself, then wake the hell up and face him like a true warrior._

Vegeta took to the sky and headed for the castle. On his way there, he couldn’t help but grin.

 _Damn you, Kakarot. That merciful spirit of yours finally rubbed off on me._ He shook his head and focused himself. _This is no time for sentimentality. I need to hurry up and find that bastard, Starrk._

Vegeta raced into the hole in the wall the Trunks and Goten entered through and began to fly around in the maze of the Las Noches castle. However, there was still something that concerned him deeply. He didn’t know if this problem was an anomaly or not, or if anyone else had noticed, but he decided to monitor this situation more carefully as the day went on. After a few minutes, he found himself in the inner desert of Las Noches but saw no sign of the Primera Espada.

He continued to travel outward and looked on as Goten fended off Barragan, while his son dished out punishment to Nnoitra. While he couldn’t help but feel a sense of pride in his son’s dominant display, his suspicions began to feel more concrete. However, he had no time to contemplate this further, as Lilynette Gingerbuck suddenly appeared in front of him.

Vegeta gritted his teeth at her. “Where the hell is he?”

Lilynette smiled and shrugged her shoulders. “Beats me, but I’ll be glad to take his place.”

“Is this some kind of joke? Bring him out now before I lose my patience.”

From the stub on the side of her mask, Lilynette drew a curved sword that appeared as long as her body. She charged at Vegeta and attempted to strike, but the Saiyan nonchalantly caught the blade and tossed them both down to the ground.

Vegeta could not find it within himself to contain his anger any longer. “COWARD! SHOW YOURSELF BEFORE I BLOW YOUR PARTNER TO SMITHEREENS!” His voice echoed across the landscape, but no response came to him. Vegeta quickly shot his hand out towards Lilynette as he continued to shout into the air. “HAVE IT YOUR WAY THEN!”

Vegeta blasted his Big Bang Attack down at the Arrancar. She tried to fire off a green Cero from between her eyes to challenge it, but her beam immediately dissipated on impact. The blast drew closer to her, but Coyote Starrk finally arrived in front of her and deflected it away from them.

Starrk turned around to Lilynette as she stood to her feet. “I thought I told you not to-”

Vegeta appeared in front of Starrk and connected a hard punch to his cheek, causing him to fall back and slide into the sand. 

“Starrk!” Lilynette exclaimed as she ran to his side. “Are you alright?”

Vegeta grinned and transformed into his Super Saiyan Blue form. “Now that you're finished hiding, it’s time we resumed what we started months ago.”

* * *

Hunched over and panting, Nnoitra gripped his shoulder as blood flowed out of a large laceration on his trapezius muscle. Trunks stood yards away from him with no damages to show for.

“And here I was thinking you would at least put up a decent fight,” he started. “But I guess you can only stand a chance when you have a good distraction.”

Nnoitra continued to gasp for air, as Trunks tightened his grip around his Zanpakuto and continued. “Do you even care about all of the destruction you caused; all of the people you killed? We don’t even have Dragon Balls to bring them back. Have you ever thought about that?”

“You’re asking me if I regret killing humans?” Nnoitra sneered. “What a joke. Their lives had no meaning. If you’re too weak to survive, then you deserve to die. All I did was hasten the inevitable.”

“Killing them was your first mistake.” Trunks replied as he started to walk towards his enemy. “You won’t get a chance to make another.”

Trunks took a few steps towards his Nnoitra, until someone emerged behind him, attempting to drive their sword into the back of his skull. The Saiyan dodged by moving his head out of the way and followed with a spinning back to his enemy’s chin. Trunks turned around and saw that his attacker was Tesla Lindocruz, who was now face down on the ground. The Fracciòn slowly rose to his feet and held his blade out in front of him.

“I was wondering when you were gonna show up,” Trunks said. “Now I can kill two birds with one stone.”

“Master Nnoitra!” Tesla called out. “Please let me fight alongside you. I can’t stand back and watch him disgrace you any longer.”

Nnoitra stood up straight and healed his wound. “I’ll allow it, but only because I want to see this putrid Saiyan in unspeakable pain.”

“You’re more than welcome to try,” Trunks dared. “But just to remind you, zero times two is still zero.”

“Bastard,” Tesla mumbled as he brought his sword-wielding hand across his neck. “ **Gore them, Veruga!** ”

Steam emitted from his blade and shrouded him before revealing his giant, warthog-like transformation.

Trunks grinned as he prepared for a combined attack by the Arrancar. “My statement still stands.”

The Espada and his ally charged Trunks from both sides, but just as they drew a few feet away from him, he vanished. The two stopped and turned their heads left and right to search for him. However, when Nnoitra looked directly above him, he saw the Saiyan firing an energy blast down at them. They were able to avoid the attack as they jumped into the air and separated.

“Damn you!” Nnoitra shouted as he again tried to seek his enemy. “Stop running and-”

From his peripheral vision, Nnoitra could see Trunks was high in the sky with his sword over his head, rapidly descending onto Tesla. The Fracciòn continued to search for the Saiyan in all of the wrong places.

“TESLA!” the Espada yelled. “ABOVE YOU!”

Tesla gasped and lifted his head, but it was already too late. Trunks had sliced him from the top of his head, between his eyes, and through his body. As the Arrancar’s body began to split in half, Trunks made several more cuts, chopping his body into pieces. Nnoitra suddenly appeared behind him, and in wide-eyed fury, attempted to stab the Super Saiyan from behind. However, Trunks was able to turn his body and fire off an energy blast from both hands, which managed to injure Nnoitra further and incinerate Tesla’s remains.

The smoke cleared to reveal Nnoitra covering his face but trembling in pain. His body was covered in bruises and cuts but still did not prevent him from seething with rage.

“One down, one to go,” Trunks said as he turned towards the Espada.

“You fucking pest,” Nnoitra fumed. “I wish I tortured you when I had the chance. I should’ve gutted that stupid **bitch** right in front of you and killed you both.”

As soon as he heard his adversary refer to Soifon in that manner, Trunks briefly lost all sense of rationality. Unaware to him, however, the sclera in his eyes turned black, while his pupils changed from green to yellow. Nnoitra gasped at the sudden burst of power and bloodlust coming from Trunks, but before he could fully process what was occurring, Trunks ran Zangetsu through Nnoitra’s stomach.

For a brief moment, Nnoitra caught a glimpse of Trunks’ eyes and understood what had transpired. _I see. So he is just like Kurosaki._

The Espada coughed out blood, as Trunks forced the blade upward to his chest before punching him down to the ground. Nnoitra crashed down into the sand and struggled to sit up as he clutched his wound.

As Trunks’ sword dripped red liquid into the air, he raised his hand at his fallen foe and prepared an energy blast in his palm. Nnoitra hurled out more blood onto his chest, but he couldn’t help but laugh to himself.

“He’ll kill... you all,” Nnoitra wheezed out. “You… all of your friends… and that Captain you care about so much. You are nothing… to Lord Aizen!”

“RAAAHH!” Trunks shouted out as he fired the blast downward. Nnoitra continued to laugh as the energy impacted and exploded, wiping him from existence. As the dust persisted from the ground, the darkness crept out of Trunks’ eye, and his pupils reverted to normal. He took a deep breath in and out to calm down before flicking his blade outward to remove any excess blood from it. Then, he set his sights on a tower that stood alone in the distance.

 _Nothing to Aizen, huh?_ Trunks pondered. _We’ll see about that. If I didn’t break a sweat with those two, I should be able to at least give Aizen a run for his money._

Trunks sped off towards the building, drawing the attention of his friend, who was still trying to find a way around Barragan’s defenses.

 _No,_ Goten worried. _Don’t tell me he’s going off on his own. I thought we were sticking to the plan._

“HEY, SLOW DOWN!” he called out, to no avail. Goten wanted to go after him, but Barragan’s Respira continued to give chase and prevented him from leaving. _Trunks, whatever training you did in the Time Chamber, I just hope it was enough._

On the other side of the battlefield, as Vegeta approached Starrk, his attention was suddenly drawn to his son flying off. _He’s going in to fight him alone? Dammit, he hasn’t noticed?_

“TRUNKS, STOP!” Vegeta bellowed. “WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?”

Vegeta’s cries also fell on deaf ears and the Prince now began to feel worried for his son.

_He hasn’t sensed it yet, but just from getting a reading on most of the Espada, I can tell. The new power-ups they’ve received from Aizen don’t correspond to their numbers. So far, Grimmjow was the strongest, followed by Kakarot’s, then Gohan’s opponent. Then I would have to say that Goten’s is next, which makes the enemy Trunks just killed the weakest out of the Espada present. He’s going in thinking that he bested the fifth strongest and his sidekick with no effort when it was probably like that by design._

Vegeta continued to watch his son fly off into the distance. _Darn kid, he’s just like his father._ _Hopefully, he can hold his own until I’m finished._

* * *

“Ichigo,” Renji hesitated. “Please tell me he isn’t doing what I think he’s doing.”

Ichigo did not respond, but from his widened eyes and held breath, Renji could tell that he wasn’t so sure, either. Nobody in the group was spared of their feelings of uncertainty, and some were more expressive than others.

Soifon clenched her jaw and tightly gripped her Captain’s coat from her crossed arms. _What the hell is he trying to prove? It hasn’t even been half an hour since I told him not to be stupid, and now he turns around and does something absolutely idiotic. DAMMIT! If I wasn’t stuck here, I’d have half a mind to strangle him right now._

“You know better than anyone else here, Ichigo,” Rukia said. “Do you think Trunks can take him by himself?”

Ichigo exhaled to ease himself before answering. “Trunks is a lot stronger than he was when I first met him, that much goes without saying. In fact, we actually gained a lot more from the last two weeks than we did in the last six months. It’s just that… there’s no real way to know how strong Aizen’s become. I guess we’re just gonna have to trust that he knows what he’s doing; we don’t really have another choice.”

Even his own words weren’t enough to soothe his anxieties, nor the worries and fears of everyone around him. At the moment, there was nothing that he could do, and that ate at him from the minute the Garganta was sealed. He loathed that he was forced to stand there and watch as the fate of the world was decided on his behalf. It painfully reminded him of the months he spent without his powers, but now that he was stronger than he ever was, it was as if nothing had changed. However, it was just as he said: there was nothing for him to do but hope.

* * *

Trunks drew closer to his destination and figured that it would be best to drop in from the roof and began his search from there. He flew up the tower’s wall and descended in the center of the ceiling, crashing down into a grey room that was surrounded by large pillars. Right in front of him, however, was a tall, square platform, and resting in the center were two people: one who sat on a throne, and an Arrancar who bent over next to the throne, handing the other man a plate with a teacup on it. Trunks knew right away that the man on the throne was his target: Sosuke Aizen.

“Thank you,” Aizen gently said to his subordinate. The Arrancar bowed before scurrying off, as Aizen took a sip of his tea and rested it on the arm of his chair. He then turned his attention to Trunks and smiled at him.

“Trunks Briefs,” he said. “I’m glad to finally make your acquaintance. Allow me to extend my congratulations for defeating Nnoitra in battle. Truly, it was a great display of your talent, and I’m impressed with how much you’ve grown in such a short time.”

“Cut the shit, Aizen,” Trunks protested. “I’m not here to be showered with compliments. I’m here to kill you.”

“I’ll be sure to give you an opportunity.” Aizen took another sip of his tea. “But first, I’d like to speak more with you.”

“Hmph,” Trunks grinned. “Ichigo did say you were a big talker. Fine, go ahead and try to persuade me, but it won’t work.”

“I don’t intend on persuading you, but I want to encourage you to think critically. I’ll start by asking this.” Aizen’s smile faded and his eyes narrowed as he stared at the Super Saiyan down. “Do you trust the ones that stand above you: the Supreme Kai, the Omni King, and the Soul King?”

Trunks was taken aback by his inquiry. “What? What do you mean by that?”

Aizen’s usual grin came crawling back. “Where are my manners? Would you like a cup of tea?”

  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Apologies for the delay! This chapter didn't come as easily as I hoped but I'm happy with where it's going.
> 
> A lot more of the unexpected will be happening in the coming chapters, so stay tuned.
> 
> Also a huuuge thank you to everyone that's taken the time to read this far. It honestly means the world to me. Be safe, and I'll see ya next time


	17. The Day I Tried to Live

_I woke the same as any other day_

_Except a voice was in my head_

_It said, "Seize the day, pull the trigger_

_Drop the blade and watch the rolling heads_

* * *

Though his son rushed to confront Sosuke Aizen alone, Vegeta refocused on Coyote Starrk, who rose to his feet and began massaging his cheek.

“Attacking someone while they’re speaking?” Starrk asked. “I never pegged you as that type of person, Vegeta, especially when you’re so keen on upholding that ‘Saiyan honor’ of yours.”

“You stepped into a battle and dropped your guard,” Vegeta smirked. “That sounds like it’s your problem, not mine. Now, if you don’t mind, I have more pressing matters at hand, so quit wasting my time and transform.”

“Right, pressing matters like your son. You know, regardless of what happens in this fight, he won’t survive for long against Lord Aizen.”

“Is that so? I’m sure he’ll hold his own longer than the two weaklings that just turned to ashes.” Starrk’s eyes widened and his muscles became stiff as Vegeta couldn’t help but grin with teeth from his reaction. “Oops, I guess I hit a nerve. Don’t worry, you’ll all be together soon enough.”

Starrk didn’t respond but instead placed his hand on the top of Lilynette’s head. A blue pillar of spiritual pressure beamed out of her body. Suddenly, Lilynette and the surging spiritual pressure vanished.

“ **Kick About,** **Los Lobos!** ”

A cloud of light blue smoke masked the Espada’s body and jetted into the sky. Vegeta observed in anticipation as his enemy’s power level rapidly increased. The smoke began to ease up, and as Coyote Starrk became visible, he was seen kneeling on the ground with his arm resting on his risen leg. He slowly stood to his feet, revealing the full extent of his Segunda Etapa.

His shirt had disappeared, but Starrk now sported a new vest composed of jagged, black spiritual pressure. He had new forearm-length black gloves, and in his hands were two new pistols. From the ends of his guns, green and blue segmented bands stretched and connected to his back. His pants were also composed of black spiritual pressure, and he wore knee-length black boots with additional guns stored in a holster located on his calves. His hair stretched down to his hip in a ponytail and turned grey, while his left eye now displayed a tattoo of a red flame. His sclera turned black, and the outer rim of his left eye, as well as several other points of his body, emanated blue spiritual pressure that radiated like flames.

Now that Starrk had shown his full power, Vegeta began to analyze his situation further. _In terms of power output, I’d have to rank him third behind Kakarot’s enemy. This means I might be able to win this without having to transform again. If I can avoid that and take minimal damage, I can still eat half of a Senzu bean and get most of my strength back._

The Saiyan Prince stepped back and readied himself for combat. “Well, since you were so upset that I attacked you before, I’ll let you have the first move.”

“How uncharacteristically nice of you,” Starrk answered as he raised his pistol and fired off a Cero. Vegeta moved out of the way only to find himself dodging another blast. With every narrow escape, the Saiyan moved closer and closer to his enemy until he was within striking range. However, as prepared to throw a punch, Starrk turned and launched his leg at Vegeta, and from the underside of his boot, an arching Cero fired. He was barely able to duck underneath it but saw that Starrk had aimed his gun right at his head. Vegeta backflipped away from the oncoming blast.

“Cero, Metralleta.” The Espada instantly fired off thousands of blue-green beams at the Saiyan. Dashing into the air, Vegeta avoided the initial wave, but as the blasts continued to fire towards him, he found himself overwhelmed. He fired off a barrage of energy blasts in an attempt to counter, and though he managed to destroy most of the blasts that came his way, some of them were still able to get through, including one that impacted on his formerly dislocated shoulder. Vegeta grimaced as a sharp pain radiated throughout his entire arm, while Stark halted his assault to observe his opponent’s condition.

“What happened to all that confidence you had before?” Starrk questioned. “Or was it just that arrogance of yours getting the best of you? At least try to make this interesting.”

Vegeta grunted but kept himself under control. “Enjoy this while you can, because when I reach you, I’m going to vaporize you. That is a guarantee.”

* * *

On the other side of the battlefield, Goten continued to struggle as none of his attacks proved effective against Barragan’s defenses. Additionally, his urgency to help his friend caused him to grow increasingly impatient. The two of them floated in the air, yards apart, as Goten tried to think of yet another strategy.

“You’re starting to look tired,” Barragan remarked. “And I have grown weary of this game. It’s time that I finished this once and for all.”

“God,” Goten muttered through his teeth. “Do you ever shut up?”

“What was that?”

Goten raised his voice and elaborated. “I just think it’s funny that you like to talk trash when all you’ve done is hide behind your little death mist. You’re not a fighter, and you’re definitely not a king. You’re just a pussy.”

“For your sake, boy, I hope that I misheard you. Did you dare-”

“Oh, you misheard me, huh? Well, let me say it a little louder so it can reverberate around your hollow skull! You’re a BIG, FUCKING, PUSSY!”

Barragan growled and released Respira in full force. “I’ll rot that arrogant tongue of yours!”

As the mist drew closer, Goten disappeared and reappeared beside the Espada. Utilizing the Afterimage technique, he constantly changed positions around his enemy and fired off an energy blast each time he switched. Some of the blasts were able to pierce the mist and finally hit Barragan’s body, but this only proved to anger him further.

The Espada let out a loud shout as he fiercely released his attack in all directions. Goten, however, sensed the area where Barragan’s Respira was at its weakest point and flew underneath him. He fired off a Masenko that broke through and blasted a gaping hole through Barragan’s chest.

“Gotcha!” Goten grinned. “How’d you like that?”

Barragan stayed silent, glaring down at the Saiyan while he quickly regenerated from Goten’s attack. As soon as the hole closed, the Espada used his Sonido to appear behind Goten once more.

“DIE!” Barragan shouted as he sent forth the full force of his Respira. Goten swiveled and tried to repel the miasma with his aura, but it wasn’t enough. He cried out as his body was soon overtaken by the mist.

“Fool,” he continued. “Did you really think you would win against the God of-” Barragan stopped as the body in front of him did not disintegrate into bone, but instead turned to ice and withered away. _An ice clone? Where did he-_

Goten teleported right above Barragan’s head. With no time to retract Respira, the Espada could only tilt his head upward to see the Saiyan charging an attack.

“Kamehameha!” Goten shouted as he released his energy beam onto Barragan. The King of Hueco Mundo vanished into the beam as it fell and exploded onto the ground below. When the dust settled, Barragan Luisenbarn was no more.

Now triumphant, Goten turned his body upright as he heavily panted. _If only I didn’t try to learn Instant Transmission in two weeks. I could really benefit from more than ten yards of teleportation._ _Alright, gotta find Trunks-_

As a result of Starrk’s Ceros, multiple holes had been made in the castle’s walls. Just as Goten prepared to fly towards Trunks, he detected multiple power levels coming from outside of Las Noches.

_That’s Gohan. What the hell’s going on, and why is he fighting four people on his own?_

Goten was now caught in a bind. On one end, his friend was about to battle against Aizen, but he couldn’t sense any energy from them yet. On the other end, his brother was outnumbered and in immediate danger. He clenched his fists but came to a decision.

* * *

Gohan stood across from Halibel and the Tres Bestias as he tried to catch his breath. He had managed to hold his own for a while, but he couldn’t dodge and counter every attack that the four of them hit him with. Fatigue began to set in, and he began to wonder how he was going to win.

“I’ll commend you for your resilience,” Halibel said. “But it’s pointless for you to continue. It’d be better for you to quit now and keep your life.”

“Sorry,” Gohan responded. “But I don’t think I could live with myself if I gave up. You’re better off killing me, that is if you can.”

“So be it.” The Arrancar surrounded Gohan, and the Saiyan once again found himself blocking and evading their strikes. However, Halibel was able to connect with a hard kick to his ribs, sending Gohan tumbling back into the sand. He clutched his side as he slowly tried to stand again. 

The Tres Bestias smirked as Halibel lifted her sword and began to charge a final attack at the tip of her blade. “Farewell,” she whispered.

Just as Halibel was about to launch her attack, an energy ball shot up high in the sky and flared out. The Arrancar women and Gohan looked up to find out what was happening.

“What is that?” Mila Rose asked.

“I don’t know, but it’s so bright,” Apacci added.

Gohan was perplexed as well until he saw his brother in the air. Goten opened up his hands and brought them to each side of his face, prompting Gohan to shut his eyes.

“Solar Flare!” Goten shouted as a blinding light flashed down. As the four women cried out and covered their eyes, the two Saiyans took this chance to launch a counter-offensive. Goten flew down and knocked all three of the Fracciòn away in one motion, while Gohan grabbed Halibel and launched through the castle’s wall.

Gohan stood next to his brother and smiled. “You could’ve at least given me a warning or something.”

“Sorry,” Goten answered. “I didn’t have time to think it through.”

“What’s the situation inside?”

“Well, Vegeta’s blasting away with Espada One, and Trunks made the executive decision to fight Aizen on his own.”

“He did what!? Why would he go do that?”

“I really wish I could tell you, but I think it’d be best if we end this as soon as possible.”

“Now that you’re here, that shouldn’t be an issue.”

Halibel appeared in front of Gohan using her Sonido, while her three Fracciòns stood and circled Goten. The two brothers stepped back into their identical stances and prepared to fight.

“You sure you can handle her on your own?” Goten asked.

His brother smirked. “Why do you think they jumped me before? You sure you can handle those three by yourself?”

“You’re kidding, right?”

Gohan grinned as he and Espada Three disappeared and resumed their battle. The Tres Bestias collapsed onto Goten and launched a three-sided assault. He maneuvered around their attacks and countered with strikes that sent them away from him. The Arrancar recovered and launched Ceros at the Saiyan. Using an ice wall, he shielded himself from the blasts and took advantage of the explosion to escape into the sky.

Apacci leaped into the air to chase him down, while her allies followed suit. With a downward slash of his sword, Goten launched an ice dragon past Apacci and onto Sung-Sun and Mila Rose. As Apacci turned back to see her friends fell to the sand, Goten came from behind and kicked her down into them. He stayed in the sky as his enemies slowly got up from the ground. 

“Damn him!” Apacci exploded. “Once I get my hands on him, I’ll-”

“I think it’s time to let ‘it’ out,” Sung-Sun interrupted.

“We have no choice,” Mila Rose concurred. “It’s our only chance at winning.”

Apacci growled and gripped her left arm. “Then let’s hurry up so we can get back to Master Halibel.”

Mila Rose and Sung-Sun followed suit and clutched their arms, tearing them off simultaneously. Goten’s eyes widened as he observed the severed limbs begin to glow red.

“Quimera Parca!” they shouted. Their severed arms began to morph together and produce a stronger spiritual pressure than the Tres Bestias combined. 

Goten prepared himself, but his jaw dropped open as a massive beast materialized and towered over him. _From what dark corner of hell did this monstrosity just come out of?_

“Meet Ayon,” Apacci smirked. “Let’s see if you can handle this one.”

From the sides of its head, giant eyes opened out of Ayon’s fur, and pupils rolled down from the back of its skull to stare at Goten. He began to feel his skin crawl. 

_Nightmare fuel: just what I needed to make sure I never sleep again._

* * *

Inside the throne room of Las Noches, Trunks stood in front of his enemy, trying to make sense of his situation. Sosuke Aizen was supposed to be the most dangerous force in Universe 6 and 7, yet he wanted to sip tea and engage in discourse with Trunks. The juxtaposition of his evil actions with his tranquil persona put the 20-year old on edge.

“You seem tense,” Aizen noted. “Maybe a cup of tea would-”

Trunks shook his head to snap out of his trance before blurting out a response. “I’m fine! I don’t need any tea from you.”

“Then, have you had enough time to think?”

Trunks paused and composed himself before answering. “I-I don’t really have a reason to distrust the Supreme Kai. Whenever he gets involved, he always tries to help.”

“Do you trust him to do his job: to protect your universe? After he’s let people like Frieza and Majin Buu decimate galaxies and leave only 30 inhabited planets left. After he’s allowed someone like Zamasu to enter into your universe, what reason do you have to trust him as your overseer?”

Trunks hesitated again before responding. “I don’t have a reason to, but as long as he’s not destructive, then I don’t have a problem. We’ll be here to make sure the universe is safe.”

“And then what happens when you and your friends die? Do you think another person as strong as your father or Goku will magically appear to defend the world? If all of the planets were destroyed, the Omni King wouldn’t ask the Supreme Kai to create new life. Instead, he would wipe the universe from existence, all while the God of Destruction sleeps.”

Trunks had no rebuttal. As much as he wanted to deny it, he knew that it was a possibility that the destruction of the world could occur as soon as Goku And Vegeta were unable to continue fighting. For a moment, Trunks dropped his head and lost himself in thought while Aizen continued to speak.

“I’m sure you see how weak deities endanger the universe, but I wonder how much you know about the Soul King.”

“I don’t know anything about him, other than that he lives miles above the Soul Society. What, are you gonna tell me he’s a deadbeat ruler, too?”

“I suppose calling him a deadbeat wouldn’t be fair. I’m sure he would do something if he could.”

Trunks looked up at Aizen. “If he could? What does that mean?”

Aizen took a sip of his tea before replying. “Well, he’s practically dead.”

Trunks gasped. “Dead?! How could he be dead? That doesn’t make any sense!”

“Allow me to give you a short history lesson that I’m sure no one else will. Thousands of years ago, when Universe 6 and its Earth were in their infancy, the planet was occupied in large part by Hollows. However, the Soul King emerged from the chaos with unimaginable powers. He was able to exterminate the Hollows and protect the citizens of Earth, but his actions caused an imbalance in the world. As a result, five Soul Reapers joined together and sealed away the Soul King. They used his powers to split the world into three realms, creating the cycle of death and rebirth in this universe. Though he showed no resistance, the Soul Reapers dismembered him and scattered his body across the Soul Society, leaving him in a vegetative state to serve as a lynchpin for the rest of time. While all of this transpired, the Supreme Kai of Universe 6 watched and only took action when the Grand Priest said to. ”

“But… how do you know all of this?”

“The Hogyoku showed me, and once I saw, I knew that someone needed to intervene, and I realized that it should be me. As one who will once again transcend Soul Reapers and Hollows, and with Saiyan power unlocked by the Hogyoku, I will soon become the strongest being to ever exist. I will be the only one capable of protecting Universe 6 and 7 from any more harm.”

Trunks scowled at his foe. “How the hell can you even say that when you’re the one that wants to sacrifice a hundred billion lives? You can’t protect a universe without any people in it.”

Aizen stood up and walked behind his chair, picking something up from the floor. As he reemerged, Trunks gasped as he held up the container holding all of the stolen souls. “Would you mean these hundred billion souls? It does seem cruel, but it is a necessary sacrifice for the greater good. Once I activate the Oken, I can travel to the Soul King’s palace and replace him as the lynchpin of this universe. Then, I’ll kill the Supreme Kais and establish myself as the god of Universe 6 and 7. Don’t worry, I intend to create new lives with a new civilization. I will eliminate trivial things like war, discrimination, oppression, and poverty from all aspects of society, and transform these worlds into what they should have been from the beginning. Doesn’t that sound like a good trade-off to you?”

Trunks gritted his teeth together and tightened his grip on his sword. “I think I’ve heard enough.”

Aizen rested the container on the seat of the chair. “What is your consensus then?”

“This world is fucked up, and to some extent, I guess I already knew that. The Supreme Kais are weak, Zeno isn’t fit to rule anything, let alone everything, and the Soul King is just a placeholder. I bet you could even give me a long list of sins committed by the Soul Society. The thing is, though, I don’t care. At the end of the day, I’m here to protect my friends and family, so I’ll fight for incompetent gods before I trust a power-hungry psychopath like you.”

The Las Noches ruler frowned at his fellow Saiyan and let out a heavy sigh. “I’m disappointed in you, Mr. Briefs. With an intellect like yours, I was hoping that you would see things the way I do. Since you don’t, however, what exactly do you plan on doing by yourself?”

“I’m doing something that should’ve been done a long time ago: I’m stopping you once and for all.”

“Feel free to try. I’m eager to see just how strong you’ve become.”

Trunks grinned as his aura flared outward from his being. “Then watch this, and tell me if it looks a little familiar.” He thrust his sword in front of him and clutched his bicep as he shouted out with all his might.

“ **BAN, KAI!** ”

His energy burst and produced smoke that clouded him from sight. Aizen gasped as he felt his enemy’s energy skyrocket. The smoke surrounding Trunks circled him before quickly dispersing, revealing his new form. Just like Ichigo’s initial Bankai, Trunks now sported a long-sleeve black coat that stretched down to his ankles, though he still wore the same pants and boots from before. He also wielded the same black long sword as Kurosaki before his Fullbring alteration. 

“Tensa Zangetsu,” Trunks said. “Did you miss it?”

Aizen placed his hand on his sword and quickly charged the Super Saiyan. The two crossed blades and exchanged cold gazes before pulling back to exchange several clashes of strikes. As the Saiyans battled across the throne room, both fighters were able to land and counter each other’s attacks. However, Trunks began to get a feel for his opponent’s power and tendencies, and he became confident that he could soon turn the tide of battle.

As Aizen attempted to slash at Trunks, he coated his blade in a black Getsuga Tenshou and parried his blade away. Trunks took advantage of this opening to land a punch on his enemy’s face. Aizen slid back and fired an energy blast. Trunks dodged and dashed in to knee him in the stomach. They began to clash again, but with his Getsuga-fueled strikes and increased speed, the Trunks found himself with the advantage.

* * *

From afar, no one in the Soul Society could believe what they were seeing. All of their expressions had changed from anxiety and concern to astonishment. 

_I don’t believe it,_ Hitsugaya said. _Sosuke Aizen defeated half of the Captains with barely any effort, and now Trunks is managing to stand toe-to-toe with him. No, he’s not just keeping up. He’s…_

 _He’s winning,_ Soifon sputtered as her mouth slowly fell open. _Is this really happening? He’s beating him on his own. Maybe… maybe his training was enough after all._

Although it felt like as good a time as any to have a sliver of hope, some people were more reserved than others. Yoruichi and Kisuke stood next to each other, hesitant to call the fight from an early showing.

“What are you thinking, Kisuke?” Yoruichi asked.

“He’s doing well,” Urahara answered. “He’s using his new speed and power to his benefit, and most importantly, he looks confident. That being said, this is Sosuke Aizen we’re talking about, and he still has access to the Hogyoku. I’m curious as to how you feel, though.”

“If he can land his strongest attack soon, then he might be able to win. If he drags this fight out, then it won’t end well for him. Everything depends on that.”

Ichigo shared the same worries as Kisuke and Yoruichi, but he couldn’t help but grin as he watched his friend. _Come on. This is what we trained for. You’ve got the tools, now finish him off for good._

* * *

Trunks and Aizen darted at each other in the air and clashed swords once more. As they pushed their blades towards one another, Trunks attempted to taunt his opponent.

“Hey, you’re not looking so good,” he smirked. “Maybe it’s time you turned into a Super Saiyan, or maybe show off that Bankai of yours.”

Aizen grunted. “I never took the time to learn those things, but even if I did, I wouldn’t need either to deal with you.”

“Really? If I were you, I’d be kicking myself right now.” Trunks wiped away his smirk and regained his focus. _What the hell am I doing? I need to end this while I can._

Trunks forced Aizen away with an energy push and charged towards him. However, the Espada leader regained his balance and pointed his finger at Trunks.

“Bakudo 61, Rikujokoro!” Trunks gasped as Aizen fired off a beam, summoning six strips of light that slammed into his abdomen from all sides and prevented him from moving. Trunks struggled to break free as Aizen shot an energy blast at him. As the attack drew closer, the Super Saiyan powered up and forced the Kido away before slicing the blast in half, causing it to explode in front of him. As the dust cleared in front of Trunks’ eyes, his target was nowhere to be found. Before he could realize it, Aizen had teleported behind him.

“Hado 90, Kurohitsugi!” Purple and black spiritual pressure surrounded Trunks and sealed him inside of the large black coffin. Aizen grinned, but his expression soon changed as he noticed the coffin beginning to crack. Trunks slashed his way through the barrier and emerged with minimal damage. As Aizen looked on in bewilderment at his shattered Kido spell, Trunks appeared right in his face.

“Getsuga, Tenshou!” Trunks shouted. Aizen had little time to react, as he was soon enveloped by the black and red energy. He fell to the ground while Trunks followed suit to catch his breath. The smoke cleared to reveal the Espada leader in torn clothing with scrapes all over his face and arms. He clutched a deep, bleeding wound next to his shoulder that flowed onto the remnants of his clothes.

“Cocky child,” Aizen seethed with glaring eyes and disheveled hair. “Don’t think you’ve won just yet.”

“Not yet,” Trunks panted. “But you like you’re in a lot of pain. How about I put you out of your misery?”

“Damn you!” Aizen flung himself towards Trunks, who threw out his arms before slamming his wrists together. Yellow electricity discharged from his hands as he gathered energy as fast as possible. Aizen drew within striking distance, but it was already too late.

“FINAL FLASH!” Trunks yelled out, unleashing a massive energy beam on his enemy from point-blank range. As Aizen was engulfed in the blast, the beam shot past his throne and through the walls of the tower, carrying on into the darkness of Las Noches.

The dust cleared, and Trunks dropped to one knee in exhaustion. He looked at where his enemy formerly stood and only saw bloody fragments of his clothing remaining. With Sosuke Aizen now vanquished and only minor damage to show as battle scars, he staggered to his feet and started his walk to collect the container of souls.

After six months of training, followed by a brutal year in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber, the war for Universe 6 and 7 concluded. A feeling of relief swept over Trunks, and with the prospect of his old life being restored, he couldn’t contain the joyous smile that crept onto his face. He could go home, spend time with his family, and resume his college life with Goten. Trunks could now have peace knowing that he avenged the lives destroyed by the Karakura Town Explosion, and he would finally be able to make his father proud of his growth as a fighter.

For the first time in his life, there was something that no one could take away from him: on this day, Trunks Briefs saved the world. He could already envision the smiles and cheers he and Goten would receive when they stepped back into the Seireitei. Fantasies of celebrating with his friends, telling Jinta about his success, and finally asking Soifon out on a date excited him. The fruits of his labor awaited him atop the vacated throne.

Faint footsteps echoed closely behind him, followed by a sinister, yet familiar voice.

“You truly believed that this was over, didn’t you?”

In an instant, Trunks’ muscles tensed while his nerves raced out of control. He turned his body, and just as his peripheral vision caught the slightest glimpse of Sosuke Aizen, knuckles smashed against his cheek. His neck snapped back in the other direction as he was propelled off of his feet and into the square platform. His head bounced off and dented the structure before he plummeted to the floor.

The 20-year old felt a stabbing pain in his skull and heard ringing between his ears. Blood oozed from a cut above his brow and flowed into his eye. The taste of copper and the sensation of broken teeth grazed across his tongue. It was the most vicious punch he had ever received in his life, but it wasn’t the only damage he had taken in that exchange. Every ounce of positive emotion that Trunks experienced in his few seconds of victory had been seized, and now that he’d been drained of most of his energy and fighting spirit, he was only left with fear. 

He sat up and squinted his eyes tight before he slowly tried to shake the pain out of his head. Once he opened one eye and wiped the blood from the other, he could see Aizen standing in the distance. His shirt was completely ripped from his torso, but an orb in the center of his chest glowed and pulsated.

“How… there’s no way,” Trunks stuttered. “I know I hit you. You’re supposed to be-“

“Dead?” Aizen answered. “No, not even close.”

Aizen’s aura exploded from his body, and the intensity of his power was enough to petrify Trunks.

“If there’s one thing that Ichigo Kurosaki should have told you about me,” Aizen started. “It’s that even without Kyoka Suigetsu, I’m not one to be trifled with. I gave you your opportunity to kill me, I even withheld my strength, but you weren’t strong enough to capitalize. Maybe if you hadn’t come alone, you might’ve been able to accomplish your goal. Because of your conceited ambitions to prove yourself, the only thing you’ve managed to do is reawaken the Hogyoku. As a result, the minuscule chance you had at victory has slipped away.”

As he finished his sentence, he placed his hand on his gash. After a moment, he pulled his hand away to reveal that his wound was healed, along with the other minor cuts and scrapes from before. Trunks struggled to breathe while his body uncontrollably trembled. Aizen ran his hand over his hair and slid it back to its original position. He began to slowly approach his frightened foe while continuing to speak.

“I considered killing you quickly, but now I’ve had a change of heart. I think I’ll use this time to show you how hopeless you were the minute you decided to enter my sanctum. Do you know what the best part is? Ichigo, Captain Soifon, and the rest of those waiting in the Soul Society get to stand and watch while I dismantle you, piece by piece.”

Aizen stopped and stood right in front of Trunks. He looked down at Trunks’ quivering lips, still unable to utter a word.

“Oh, and there’s one other thing I forgot to mention. I disrupted the audio signal, so there's no need to be concerned.” Aizen’s lips curled into a sadistic smile. “They won’t hear you scream.”

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everybody, Happy New Year! I hope you're all having a nice Sunday. Just wanted to say a couple of things:
> 
> I really hope you guys like this chapter. I put a lot of time into editing and re-editing, especially the last leg of the chapter. I've been waiting for this part for so so long, and it's a privilege to finally put my vision into words and share it with all of you. I'm going to do my best to make the chapters that follow this one as gripping as I possibly can, and if that means that it may take an additional week, please bear with me.
> 
> Also, I wanted to give a big big thank you for 400 views. That’s awesome, and. I appreciate every one of them.
> 
> Anyway, thanks for reading, and in the next chapter, things are taking a turn for the worst.


	18. I Learned

_I woke the same as any other day you know_

_I should have stayed in bed_

_The day I tried to win_

_I wallowed in the blood and mud_

_With all the other pigs_

_And I learned that I was a liar_

* * *

Trunks still could not will himself to move, but this mattered little to his enemy. Aizen snatched Trunks by his hair and slammed a knee into his face. He then lifted the Super Saiyan and drove a fist into his face that launched him away. Trunks’ back smacked against a pillar, causing him to fall onto his hands and knees. 

Blood from his nose dripped onto the floor while blocked nasal passages added to the discomfort and pain he felt in his head. Up until the last exchange, Trunks had been devoid of any thoughts. His mind consumed itself with an overwhelming sense of fear. However, he knew he couldn’t stay like this. With a crooked nose and watery eyes, Trunks tried to set his sights back on Aizen.

“Is there really no fight left in you?” Aizen asked. “I guess you aren’t a true Saiyan after all. No, you’re just a frightened human with Saiyan powers. I wonder what your father would say if he saw you in this state.”

Trunks growled as he squeezed the handle of Tensa Zangetsu. He flung himself towards Aizen in an attempt to regain momentum. Aizen closed his eyes and sidestepped a slash from Trunks. Trunks pivoted and launched a flurry of sword strikes at Aizen. However, he only managed to slice through the air as he watched the Espada leader dodge each attack without the use of his vision. Trunks quickly changed strategies and employed the Afterimage to try to confuse his opponent. However, Aizen stood still.

“How mediocre,” he scoffed. “I was more impressed with Soifon’s technique.”

Trunks gasped as Aizen closed the distance and rammed his fist into his stomach. While Trunks leaned over in agony, Aizen grabbed him by his jaw and flew him towards the columns, smashing his head through each one. After he had gone through several pillars, he threw Trunks down towards the ground and shot an energy ball to follow him. Once Trunks’ chest hit the ground, the energy ball impacted and caused an explosion. Aizen watched from above as the smoke cleared to reveal a hole that led to the floor below, but the Super Saiyan had disappeared.

Apart from the light that shined down from the new opening in the ceiling, the floor below the throne room covered itself in darkness. It made an ideal place for Trunks to momentarily escape from Aizen and collect his thoughts. He stood behind a pillar erected away from the hole, concealing his energy and his breathing as best as he could. He withheld himself from looking out to see if his enemy was searching for him. He waited for a sound of any sort to echo, but nothing came. In the stillness of the room, Trunks gingerly slid down the column and aimlessly tried to soothe his anxieties.

Any strategy that came to him fell dead on arrival. If he couldn’t manage to lay a finger on him, he had no chance of beating him. With the Hogyoku now active, he would only continue to get stronger and soon become unstoppable. The dull ache in his skull slowly numbed out. Trunks buried his head between his knees as the sinking feeling of failure weighed heavily on his conscience. He felt cowardly for running from his enemy, especially while being watched by those in the Soul Society. Guilt, shame, and embarrassment crushed his spirit.

His heart skipped as he heard Aizen slowly glide down and landed on the floor. Trunks’ head shot up, and he shot his hand over his mouth to stifle his hyperventilation. Goosebumps sprouted all along his arms as he squeezed his palm tightly over his lips. 

The sound of footsteps drew closer, causing his pulse to beat faster and faster. The footsteps stopped, and the room once again fell silent. Every muscle in Trunks’ body, even his eyes, refused to move. After a moment, the steps resumed, but their echo slowly grew distant from Trunks’ ears. He slightly relaxed as the feeling of immediate danger subsided.

“I’m sorry for keeping you waiting-”

Aizen appeared next to him, causing Trunks to jolt and reflexively fire an energy blast at his face. From point-blank range, Aizen brushed the ball away. Trunks tried to use this opportunity to run away, but Aizen grabbed him by the side of his head and slammed it against the pillar. As his face pressed against the cold column, Trunks observed that Aizen wore a fresh outfit.

“It’s not very polite to interrupt while someone is speaking,” Aizen said while he held Trunks’ face. “As I was saying, I’m sorry for keeping you waiting. It was quite a nuisance walking around with torn clothing, so I took the time to replace them. Now, let’s talk about you and that adoring audience of yours.”

Aizen continued as he pushed harder on Trunks’ cheek. “What do you believe they’re all thinking right now? You told them you would handle this by yourself, but look at what’s become of you. Just imagine all of the pity they feel while they watch you tremble and hide from your enemy. Imagine the disappointment they all share, knowing you lied to them, and that soon, they’ll be next.”

“No,” Trunks replied. “I- I didn’t... lie. I just… ”

“You deluded them into thinking that they could rest their hopes on you, so much so that you even fooled yourself. However, you seem to always forget one thing: you’re not Goku, you’re not Gohan, and you’re certainly not your father. You, Trunks Briefs, are nothing.”

Aizen released Trunks’ head and kicked him upwards, breaking through the ceiling. As his body soared up towards the roof of the tower, Aizen teleported above him and punched him in his spine, sending him crashing down to the ground. Crippling pain prevented Trunks from moving as he sprawled face down. Aizen landed and slowly approached Trunks once more.

“Did you ever consider why it was so easy for you to destroy Nnoitra and Tesla? It was because I designed for it to be that way.” Trunks gasped at Aizen’s revelation. “I bestowed him and Barragan less power purposely and had you and Goten fight inside of Las Noches to prevent either one of you from detecting power levels from the other battles. I figured that one of you would take the bait, though it did seem more likely that it would be you. Goten is a bit more calculating than you are. I suppose your ignorance is the one thing you’ve inherited from your ancestors.”

Aizen arrived next to Trunks and kicked him over to face upwards. He knelt over the 20-year old and began to drive his fists into Trunks’ ribs. Trunks had neither the physical strength nor mental fortitude to defend himself. All he could do is yelp his pain out to no one. After Aizen finished laying into Trunks’ body, he began to pound knuckle after knuckle into his face. After what felt like an eternity for Trunks, Aizen stood and observed the results of the brutality he had bestowed onto his foe.

Each blow made its mark on Trunks. Swelling occurred in multiple parts of his face, his lip was split open, and bruises covered multiple areas. Through his black and swollen eyes, the room spun out of his control. Most, if not all parts of his torso felt like they had been set on fire, and stabbing pain pierced his abdomen every time he tried to inhale. However, he still had one last chance to save himself.

With a trembling hand, Trunks slowly reached into his pants pocket and pulled out his saving grace: the Senzu bean. As soon as he brought his hand out of his pocket, Aizen stomped it to the floor. The bean slipped out of his fingers, prompting Aizen to reach down and pick it up.

He held the bean out over Trunks’ head. “Did you believe that a Senzu bean would help you? If you eat this, it would only serve to prolong your suffering. You know that as well as I do, so allow me to do you a favor.”

The bean incinerated in Aizen’s fingertips, with their ashes slowly descending onto Trunks’ face. Like the Senzu bean, Trunks’ hopes withered away, and he now laid at the mercy of his soon-to-be killer.

A sharp sensation came crashing onto the Super Saiyan’s chest. The Espada leader forced him to cry out in agony as he dug his heel into Trunks.

“I told you before,” Aizen said. “They can’t hear you. So, go ahead. Scream as loud as you’d like.”

Aizen chuckled as he pushed his foot further into his enemy’s chest. Trunks yelled at the top of his lungs while his body writhed in complete anguish. His hair returned to its normal color and fell down the sides of his head, signaling that he had reached his limit.

Seeing that Trunks could not take anymore, Aizen slowly removed his foot from his chest. Trunks gradually stopped screaming and began to make brief but heavy pants.

Aizen once again knelt over Trunks. “Regardless of what has transpired here, I’m grateful for this warmup. Bestowing new powers onto the Espada proved more taxing than I had anticipated. Thanks to your petty efforts, however, I’ll soon be able to destroy all of your friends. As a token of my gratitude, I will end your misery.”

Aizen brought both of his hands towards Trunks’ neck and tightly gripped his throat. As the pressure began to build in his head, Trunks struggled to pry Aizen’s fingers away, but no amount of resistance stopped the burning he felt in his lungs. He knew what this meant for him: in a minute or less, his air supply would run out.

* * *

Ichigo's knees buckled at the horror that unfolded in front of him. He, as well as everyone else standing in front of the Squad 12 barracks, experienced bouts of fury and frustration while they watched Aizen’s torture. However, as Aizen strangled Trunks, a strong sense of desperation began to mount on each one of them. They looked to other monitors, but it seemed no other fighter was making an active effort to save Trunks.

“No, please,” Ichigo whimpered. “Don’t do this, Aizen. Somebody, make it stop. Kisuke…”

Ichigo turned his head towards his mentor. Even the calm and calculating Kisuke Urahara had dropped his head. He couldn’t bear to watch the torment any longer. Ichigo turned back towards the TV, feeling completely helpless while his friend kicked and clawed for his life.

* * *

Aizen’s palms increasingly pressed into Trunks’ esophagus. The 20-year old’s face slowly turned blue as he coughed and gagged for any sliver of oxygen. None came, and his energy began to wane. Everything slowed down around him, and only one thought came to Trunks’ mind in his last moment.

_I guess he’s right. I’m just a liar. Everyone, I’m sorry… you shouldn’t… have… trus… ted..._

The light faded from his blue eyes. His hands and legs stopped twitching as they slowly slumped to the floor. Tensa Zangetsu disappeared as he laid in complete stillness.

Sosuke Aizen stood and looked down at him with indifference. “Killed by his naivety and arrogance. Such is the Saiyan way. Oh well, I’m sure his friends enjoyed the show. ”

* * *

A cold silence swept through the Squad 12 barracks. Heads fell to the floor at the sight of the motionless corpse.

“Trunks… no.” Ichigo’s shoulders drooped as his eyes welled with tears. The feeling of despair sank deep into his soul. It didn’t matter what he did now. There was nothing that could change Trunks’ fate. 

Soifon tried her best to suppress her emotions. She put her hand over her mouth to hide her quivering jaw. _No, you have to get up. You can’t die. Not like this…_

Seeing what became of Trunks reignited the dormant hatred that Toshiro felt for Aizen. Watching him wreak havoc from afar caused his blood to boil. He couldn’t stand being passive for any longer, but there seemed to be no way of accessing the Garganta from their end.

As tears streamed down Ichigo’s cheeks, the camera began to shake. His eyes widened as he watched Aizen jump away from Trunks’ body. The video feed froze and replaced the footage with grey static. Everyone gasped while Kisuke scrambled to troubleshoot.

Soifon frantically turned to him. “Urahara! What’s going on!?”

“There was an internal error with the camera module,” Kisuke replied.

“Then fix it! We need to see what’s happening!”

“I can’t fix it from here. Whatever’s transpiring in that room is the reason why the feed shut off.”

Ichigo frantically bounced his eyes between the other screens, searching for any clues that would shed light on the situation. _Was that you, Trunks? Are you still there?_

* * *

The cause of the camera module’s failure stemmed from an uncontrollable pressure coming from Trunks’ body. Aizen stood back and observed as the energy that came forth dwarfed Trunks’ maximum strength. Black and red energy circled him where he laid.

Aizen grinned. “What a fascinating turn of events. It almost feels nostalgic.”

The energy surrounding Trunks shrouded him and burst out, causing violent winds and quakes to surge throughout Las Noches. All battles temporarily halted as everyone inside and outside of the castle walls detected an ominous and bloodthirsty presence. It was the most monstrous power any of the Z-Fighters had ever sensed, and they all began to worry about this new danger along with the disappearance of Trunks’ energy signal. Most of the Arrancar had no idea whether to consider this new entity an ally or an enemy to Aizen. Ulquiorra, however, proved to be the only one that was familiar yet unbothered with this situation.

A bony silhouette stood behind a thick cloud of smoke. Summoning Tensa Zangetsu, the figure cut through the smoke to reveal itself. Sporting long, golden hair along with his other clothing, the inner Hollow within Trunks emerged. With a gaping hole in its chest and no eyes in its skull, the creature glared at an unwavering Aizen.

“How ironic,” Aizen said. “One of my first successful creations is now fighting against me. Nevertheless, it’s nice to see you again, White.”

White growled and released a bloodcurdling scream into the air. It lowered its head and fired off a red Cero from between its horns. Aizen dodged by jumping into the air. Using Sonido, White appeared behind Aizen and swung his sword downward at Aizen. Aizen narrowly dodged but could only guard himself against the kick that followed. He careened towards the ground but quickly recovered. Digging his heels into the floor, he dashed back into the air. White raced down towards him at full speed with a singular purpose: to dismember anyone that stood in its path.

* * *

Floating high above the castle’s canopy, Goku froze at the sensation of the Hollow’s power. Ulquiorra, however, used this opportunity to gain the upper hand. He flew towards Goku and landed a punch to his cheek that sent him backward. Before he could settle himself, Goku found another Cero Oscuras heading right for him. Though he stopped it with his hands, he couldn’t shove the blast away from him, and soon found himself being pushed back far away from Las Noches. Goku finally regained his bearings and deflected the Cero, but Ulquiorra emerged above him to hammer fist him into the sand. Goku landed on his hands and feet and stood up to fix his eyes on his opponent above.

“You’ve clung to hope for long enough,” Ulquiorra said as he spread his wings. “It’s time that you experience true hopelessness before your demise.”

Goku’s eyes widened as dark spiritual pressure poured out from the Espada’s back. He was taken aback not only by the intensity of his power but more so by the gloom and despair that it exuded. In a rare instance, these negative emotions pierced Goku right at his core and paralyzed him as his enemy unleashed his ultimate attack.

“ **Tormenta de Murcièlago.** ” Ulquiorra’s spiritual pressure spiraled and formed into a tornado that towered high above Goku. Before he could react to it, the vortex swallowed him as it spun fiercely in the desert. Goku stood helpless as the spiritual pressure shredded through his orange gi and tore at his skin. Although it simultaneously ripped into several parts of his body, he knew he had to fight back.

Goku released his power at its maximum, allowing his blue aura to burst out and cut through the tornado. Ulquiorra gasped as Tormenta de Murciélago dissipated before his eyes. It shocked him more to find that Goku, though scarred, bloodied, and shaking, stood in the same spot as he did before. 

“I don’t understand you,” said Ulquiorra. “You can barely stand, yet you refuse to die. You even refuse to attack with anger. Is there something wrong with your head?”

Goku steadied himself and grinned at the Espada. “You know, it’s kinda funny. I came here thinking I only wanted to get payback, but while we fought, I realized how much I missed fighting with my back against the wall. I’ve had a lot of fun and it makes me wanna train harder when this all over. So for that, Ulquiorra, thank you.”

Goku tore off the remains of his orange gi and dropped his smile. “On the other hand, I can’t forgive you for the horrible things you’ve done, and from what I’m sensing inside, there’s somewhere else I need to be. So, if I don't mind, I think it’s time we wrapped this up.”

He gritted his teeth and powered up even further. His veins protruded from his head and neck as he prepared his body for the stress it would soon endure.

“ **Kaioken, times four!”** A fierce, crimson aura shot out far above his blue aura and tinted the surrounding area. As the Espada continued to look on in bewilderment, Goku stepped back into his fighting stance. With boosted speed and resolve, he charged at Ulquiorra, determined to settle the score once and for all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one is a much shorter chapter, but this is where I felt like ending it. Possibly might be a trend going forward.
> 
> I guess this is where my warning tags came into play. Really got influenced by Around the Fur and self-titled/Life is Peachy Korn.
> 
> Have a great week, yall, and I'll see you in the next chapter.


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